My Mother At Sixty Six By Kamala Das for Class 12 English CBSE (Summary, poetic devices, word meaning and stanza based question-answer)
MY MOTHER AT SIXTY
By Kamala Das
(31 March 1934 - 31 May 2009)
DETAILED SUMMARY, EXPLANATION, EXTRACT-BASED QUESTIONS, AND THEIR ANSWER, WORD MEANINGS, AND POETIC DEVICES USED IN “MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX”.
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About the poet
The poem "My Mother at Sixty Six" highlights ageing problems. Here the experience is personal but the theme is universal.
Theme of the Poem “My Mother At Sixty Six” by Kamala Das
The main theme of the poem is aging and the fear of loss. It beautifully describes the pain of a daughter who finds her mother growing old. The poet feels sad and helpless seeing her mother’s old age. Here, the poet reflects on the reality of mortality, emotional attachment, and the silent fear of losing a loved one. The poem also shows the contrast between youth and old age, energy and weakness, and life and death.
Summary of the poem “My Mother At Sixty Six”by Kamala Das
In this poem, “My Mother At Sixty Six”, the poet, Kamala Das, has shared her personal experience. One day, she was going to the airport with her mother. While sitting beside her, she noticed that her mother looked very tired and pale. Her face looked dull. Moreover, she found her mother dozing with her mouth open. She looked so weak that the poet suddenly felt scared. Her mother looked almost lifeless.
She wanted to stop herself from thinking too much about her mother. Therefore, the poet began to look outside. She saw the trees rushing past and children playing happily. These images show life, energy, and youth—just the opposite of what she saw in her mother.
After the security check at the airport, she once again looked at her mother, and found her colourless and weak. She realised that her mother was inching towards her end. Once again, the old childhood fear of losing her mother surfaced. But still she controlled her emotions. With smile on her lips, she said good bye to her mother and promised to see her again.
Poetic Devices used in the poem "My Mother At Sixty Six" by Kamala Das
SIMILE.
Her face ashen like that of a corpse.
The poetess has expressed that her mother's face lacks energy and vitality. Her face is pale and greyish.
Wan, pale as a late winter's moon.
The words pale and wan indicate lifelessness.
2. REPETITION
Smile and smile and smile
3. PERSONIFICATION
trees sprinting
4. METAPHOR
merry children spilling
5. SYMBOLS AND IMAGES.
Trees sprinting symbolises vigour and youth
"Merry children" is symbolic of a carefree and cheerful life.
Winter's moon symbolises decay and death.
WORD MEANINGS.
Doze: feeling sleepy
Ashen: pale or grey.lifeless
Corpse: dead body
Sprinting: running fast
Spilling out: coming out
Wan: colourless
Ache: pain
DETAILED SUMMARY AND VERY SHORT QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWER
Text:
Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last
Friday morning,
I saw my mother, beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse
Detailed Explanation of the Above Text and Extract-Based Question - Answer:
One day the poetess was returning from her parents’ home and going to the Cochin airport. It was Friday. The poet's mother was also sitting beside her. When the poet looked at her mother, she noticed that she was dozing off, i.e., feeling sleepy. Her mouth was open, and her face was like that of a corpse (dead body). It means she looked bloodless. Just as the intensity of the fire is gone and it turns into ashes, similarly, the poet's mother had lost her energy and stamina and had become weak. She seemed to be moving towards the end of her life.
Q. Where was the poet returning from?
Ans. Her parents' home.
Q. Where was the poet going?
Ans. Kochin airport
Q. Who accompanied the poet?
Ans. Her mother
Q. How did the poet find her mother?
Ans. Doze and open-mouthed.
Q. Which poetic device has been used in the line "ashen like that of a corpse"?
Ans. Simile
Q. The poet compares her mother's face to…..
Ans. That of a corpse
Q. What does the expression "ashen like that of a corpse" mean?
Ans. Without strength and intensity.
Q. Which word in the extract means the same as the dead body?
Ans. Corpse
Text:
and realised with pain that
she was as old as she looked
but soon put that thought away, and looked out at
Young Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes,
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The poet realises with pain that her mother has grown old and that she is leaving her mother in old age.
"That thought" refers to the thought about her mother that she has grown old, and she is leaving her mother in old age.
The poet here expresses that when she starts thinking about her mother, she gets disturbed, and therefore, to distract herself, she looks outside the window of the car at young trees, which appear to be sprinting, and those happy children coming out of their homes.
Trees cannot sprint or move. But as the poet is sitting in a running car, she has an illusion that trees are sprinting.
The poet has created the images of “young trees sprinting” and” merry children spilling out of their homes” to present a contrast with her mother as well as to complete the life cycle.
Young trees represent young age. On the other hand, merry children represent childhood, and the mother represents old age.
Q. Which poetic devices have been used in the expression
"Young trees sprinting"?
Ans. Imagery or image, as well as Personification
Q. Which poetic device has been used in the expression "Merry children"?
Ans. It is imagery and metaphor.
Q. Which thought has been referred to here?
Ans. The thought is about her mother who has grown old and she is leaving her when she (her mother) requires her company.
Q. Why has the poet created the images of young trees sprinting and merry children spilling out of their homes?
Ans. To present a contrast with her mother and complete the life cycle.
Q. What does “the young trees sprinting" signify?
Ans. It is the poet’s illusion. It signifies the energy and stamina of the young age and how quickly the young age passes.
Text:
, but after the airport’s security check,
standing a few yards,
I looked again at her, wan, pale as a late winter’s moon
and felt that old familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile......
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The poetess goes through the security check because she has to board a plane.
After that, she looks at her mother again and finds her colourless and pale like the late winter moon. The poet has compared her mother to the "late winter's moon," and the comparison is apt. "Late winter's moon" is a symbol of deterioration and death. It means the moon in winter, which is about to set and does not have brightness due to fog, etc. The poet's mother is also weak and heading towards her end.
Since her childhood, the poet fears that one day she will be separated from her mother. This fear has been constantly with her and has always been so painful. It surfaces when she is going away from her mother and boarding a plane at Cochin airport.
There is no doubt that the poet is very much disturbed but she doesn't try to show her emotions before her mother. She tells her mother "See you soon Amma'' because she wants to give hope to her. Moreover, she continues to smile. Her smile is fake. She wants to conceal her emotions by smiling.
Q. Why does the poetess look at her mother again?
Ans. To comfort herself as she is disturbed.
Q. What does the poet compare her mother to?
Ans. Late winter's moon
Q. What does late winter's moon symbolise?
Ans. Decay and deterioration
Q. What is the poet's "childhood fear"?
Ans. Losing her mother.
Q. Why does the childhood fear surface again?
Ans. As she is getting separated from her mother.
Q. What does "familiar ache" refer to?
Ans. The pain of separation from her mother.
Q. Which poetic device has been used in the line,” I looked again at her, wan, pale as late winter’s moon.”?
Ans. Simile
Q. Which poetic device has been used in the last line of the stanza?
Ans.Repetition (smile and smile and smile)
Q. Why does the poet smile?
Ans. To conceal her pain and emotions.
Q. What were the parting words of the poet?
Ans. See you soon, Amma
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