Read the poem and answer the questions given below it.
Notifications at Midnight
At midnight, when the house is dark and still,
and Amma’s door is shut across the hall,
my phone begins to buzz on the window sill
and throws a square of blue light on the wall.
“You up?” from Rohan. Someone shares a reel.
The class group argues over Monday’s sum.
A streak of thirty days I must not break,
a sale that ends at two. And on they come.
The phone lies warm and heavy in my hand,
my thumb is sore from sliding up the glass,
the sheet is hot and crumpled at my back,
and still I let another hour pass.
At one I turn the screen face down. And then
the old, plain dark comes back, so soft and deep.
I turn my weary pillow to its cool side,
and hear the fan, and slowly fall asleep.
Who is the speaker of the poem, and what is the situation?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → a student lying awake in bed at home late at night
The speaker tells us where they are, when it is and who sends the messages.
- It is “midnight”, and “Amma’s door is shut across the hall”. So the speaker is at home.
- The speaker feels “the sheet” at their back and turns the “pillow”. So they are lying in bed.
- The messages come from “the class group” about “Monday’s sum”. So the speaker is a student.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: a mother waiting up at night for a message from her son — Incorrect. Misread: Amma is someone else, behind a shut door. The messages come from a friend and a class group.
Option 3: a student finishing homework at a study table late at night — Incorrect. Contradicted: The speaker only reads the class group arguing. They lie in bed and scroll, and no homework is done.
Option 4: a hostel student kept awake by a roommate’s phone — Incorrect. Contradicted: The speaker is at home near Amma’s room, and it is “my phone” that buzzes.