My Mother at Sixty-six | Poem 5 | Poetry | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

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English | Class 10th | Tulip Series |

 

My Mother at Sixty-six | Poem 5 | Poetry | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

My Mother at Sixty-six (Kamala Das)

 

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 and realized 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, but after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards

away, 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 ....

                          (Kamala Das)

 

Idea

My Mother at Sixty-six is a short poem, without a full stop. The poem is like a long sentence punctuated by commas but overflowing with thought process. The poet uses many poetic devices to put across her ideas. This poem revolves around the theme of aging and the fear that adheres to its loss and separation. It is a sentimental account of the mother's approaching death through the lens of a daughter. The daughter is deeply disturbed with the thought of imagining life without her mother. The poet is on her way to the airport to Cochin with her mother sitting beside her. Her mother looks pale which makes the daughter realize about the numbered days of her mother.

To drive out her negative feelings, the poet looks outside the window and finds children full of life and vitality. Here the poet uses the device of contrast to show the declining days of her mother. As she bids goodbye to her mother at the airport, the image of the old and worn-out mother in the twilight of years strikes her again but she manages to hide her pain, and bids adieu to her mother with the hope to see her soon.

Relationship is the nucleus of the poem and its love that creates an unfading relationship between two people. The silent agony of the poem reaches its climax when the airport hums, as the passengers are requested to filter through the security checkup and a helpless mother with a wrenching heart and a swelling emotion, bids a helpless goodbye to her helpless daughter.

 

SHORT SUMMARY

            In "My Mother at Sixty-six" by Kamala Das, the poet reflects on her mother's aging and mortality during a car ride to the airport. Observing her mother's pale, dozing face, she is struck by the fragility of life and feels a deep sense of anxiety and sorrow. Memories of her childhood and the inevitable separation from her mother flood her mind. Despite trying to distract herself with the outside world, the fear of losing her mother lingers. As they part at the airport, she smiles and reassures her mother while hiding her inner turmoil. The poem poignantly captures the universal fear of losing a parent and the passage of time.

 

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1. How does the poet describe her mother in the poem?

Answer: In "My Mother at Sixty-six," the poet Kamala Das describes her mother with a vivid portrayal that highlights her aging and frailty:

1. Physical Appearance: The poet notices her mother's face as "pale as a late winter’s moon," emphasizing the lifeless and fragile appearance associated with old age.

2. State of Being: The mother is depicted as dozing with an open mouth, symbolizing her exhaustion and vulnerability.

3. Emotional Response: This sight fills the poet with a sudden realization of her mother's mortality, invoking feelings of fear and sadness.

Through these descriptions, the poet captures the poignant reality of aging and the deep emotional impact it has on loved ones.

Question 2. Why does the poet look outside? What activities does the poet see outside the car window?

Answer: The poet looks outside to distract herself from the distressing thoughts of her mother's aging and mortality. Through the car window, she observes the vibrant life outside: young trees "sprinting" and happy children spilling out of their homes, symbolizing vitality and contrasting with her mother's frailty.

Question 3. Why are the young trees in the poem described as sprinting?

Answer: In the poem, the young trees are described as "sprinting" to convey a sense of vitality and rapid movement. This imagery contrasts sharply with the poet's mother, who is characterized by stillness and frailty. The "sprinting" trees symbolize the energy and dynamism of youth, highlighting the inevitable passage of time and the contrast between the vigour of life outside and the poet's internal contemplation of aging and mortality.

Question 4. Why is the mother compared to the late winter's moon?

Answer: The mother is compared to a "late winter’s moon" to emphasize her pallor, fragility, and the sense of approaching end. Just as the late winter moon appears pale, distant, and waning, the mother seems faded and weary, reflecting the inevitability of aging and the poet's realization of her mother's mortality. This comparison underscores the contrast between the mother's current state and the vibrancy of life outside, deepening the poem's theme of life's transient nature.

Question 5. What childhood fear do you think the poet is referring to in the poem My Mother at Sixty-six?

Answer: The poet refers to the childhood fear of losing her mother. This deep-seated anxiety about separation and mortality resurfaces as she confronts her mother's aging and frailty, intensifying her emotional turmoil and sense of impending loss.

Question 6. What does Kamala Das do after the security check? What does she notice?

Answer: After the security check, Kamala Das looks back at her mother and notices her pale and frail appearance, likening her to a "late winter’s moon." Despite her deep sadness and anxiety, she smiles and reassures her mother, masking her inner turmoil with an outward expression of calm.

Question 7. but all I said was, see you soon Amma; all I did was smile and smile and smile...

a) What does the poet actually feel at this moment?

Answer: At this moment, the poet feels a deep sense of sadness, anxiety, and fear about her mother's aging and the possibility of losing her. Despite these intense emotions, she tries to hide her feelings to avoid worrying her mother.

b) Why did the poet say 'see you soon Amma'? What does the poet actually mean by 'smile and smile and smile...'? What kind of smile is it?

Answer: The poet says "see you soon Amma" to reassure her mother and maintain a semblance of normalcy and hope. By saying this, she tries to mask her fear of separation and impending loss with a comforting and optimistic statement.

The phrase "smile and smile and smile..." indicates that the poet is forcing herself to smile continuously, despite her inner turmoil. This kind of smile is a strained, brave facade meant to hide her true feelings of sadness and fear, conveying reassurance to her mother while concealing her own emotional pain.

Question 8. 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 and realized with pain

That she was as old as she looked but soon put that thought away

a) Where was the poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?

Answer: The poet was driving to Cochin. Her mother was sitting beside her.

b) What did the poet notice about the mother?

Answer: The poet noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open and that her face looked ashen, pale, and lifeless, resembling that of a corpse.

c) Why did the mother's face look like that of a corpse?

Answer: The mother's face looked like that of a corpse because she was in a deep sleep, and her aging, pallor, and frailty gave her a lifeless appearance, highlighting her advanced age and the poet's realization of her mortality.

Question 9. Discuss mother-daughter relationship as described in the poem.

Answer: In the poem, the mother-daughter relationship is marked by deep emotional connection and concern. The poet’s observations of her mother's frailty reveal a profound sense of love and anxiety. Despite the poet's internal fear of losing her mother, she tries to comfort and reassure her with smiles and hopeful words. This dynamic underscore the daughter’s protective instincts and the poignant realization of the inevitable separation due to aging.

Question 10. My Mother at Sixty-six is an emotional account of the poet towards the numbered days of her mother. Discuss.

Answer: "My Mother at Sixty-six" poignantly captures the poet's emotional response to her mother’s aging and the looming reality of her mortality. The poem reflects the poet’s deep sorrow and anxiety about the limited time left with her mother. As she observes her mother’s frailty, the realization of her advanced age and the inevitability of death weighs heavily on her. The poet's internal struggle to reconcile her feelings is expressed through her forced smiles and reassurances, masking her profound sadness and fear. The poem eloquently portrays the universal experience of confronting a loved one's mortality and the emotional impact it has on those left behind.

Learning about the Literacy Device/s

• The poet compares her mother to many things. Pick out two similes which reinforce this comparison.

Answer: "Her face ashen like that / Of a corpse" – This simile emphasizes the mother’s frail and lifeless appearance.

"Pale as a late winter’s moon" – This simile highlights the mother's pallor and waning vitality.

• What image does the poet use to describe death in the poem?

Answer: The poet uses the image of a "corpse" to describe death, underscoring the frailty and inevitable end that comes with aging.

• Cite an example of one device of contrast that the poet uses in the poem.

Answer: One example of contrast is the juxtaposition of the vibrant, lively scene outside the car window with the mother’s frail, ashen appearance inside the car. This contrast highlights the difference between the vitality of the outside world and the poet's internal grief over her mother’s decline.

• Smile and smile and smile... is a poetic device. What is it called?

Answer: The repetition in "smile and smile and smile..." is a poetic device called repetition, specifically emphasizing the forced and continual nature of the poet’s smile to mask her true feelings.

 

Suggested Reading

• My Grandmother's House by Kamala Das

• Mother's Dream by Allama Iqbal