My Mother at Sixty-six | Poem 1 | Poetry | English 12th | Flamingo | Summary | Questions | Answers

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JANDKNCERT – Free NCERT Solutions | for | Class 12th | English | Flamingo  My Mother at Sixty-six | Poem 1 | Poetry | English 12th | Flamingo | Summary | Questions | Answers

JANDKNCERT – Free NCERT Solutions | for | Class 12th | English | Flamingo

My Mother at Sixty-six | Poem 1 | Poetry | English 12th | Flamingo | Summary | Questions | Answers

 

My Mother at Sixty-six

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 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, 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......

sprinting: short fast race, running

wan: colourless

                    (Kamala Das)

 

Short Summary

The poem "My Mother at Sixty-six" by Kamala Das is a poignant exploration of the themes of aging, separation, and the inevitability of death. The poet shares her emotions as she observes her aging mother and reflects on the fragility of human life.

While driving to the airport with her mother, the poet looks at her and notices her pale, ashen face that resembles a corpse, symbolizing the inevitability of aging and death. This sight deeply distresses her, reminding her of her mother's mortality.

To divert her mind, the poet looks outside the car window at the vibrant, lively world — the young trees and children playing. This contrast between the vitality of nature and the frailty of her mother heightens her emotional turmoil.

At the airport, as she bids farewell, the poet is struck by the fear of losing her mother, a fear she has harboured since childhood. Despite her inner grief, she tries to mask her emotions with a smile and reassures her mother with the hopeful words, "See you soon, Amma." The poem ends on a bittersweet note, encapsulating the universal human experience of love and the pain of parting.

The poem is marked by its simplicity, emotional depth, and vivid imagery, making it a heartfelt meditation on aging and familial bonds.

 

Think it Out

Question 1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?

Answer: The poet feels a deep emotional pain and ache as she becomes acutely aware of her mother’s advancing age and fragility. The sight of her mother’s pale, ashen face reminds her of her mortality, evoking a childhood fear of losing her. This realization of the inevitable separation causes her great anguish.

Question 2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

Answer: The young trees are described as ‘sprinting’ to create a vivid contrast between the energy and vitality of the outside world and the poet’s inner feelings of sorrow. The imagery of sprinting trees symbolizes the ceaseless flow of life and movement, in stark contrast to her mother’s stillness and aging.

Question 3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?

Answer: The image of merry children spilling out of their homes is introduced to highlight the vibrancy and joy of youth, which contrasts sharply with the poet’s somber realization of her mother’s frailty. It reflects the cycle of life, where youthful exuberance exists alongside the inevitable decline of old age.

Question 4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?

Answer: The mother is compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ because, like the moon in late winter, she appears pale, wan, and diminished. This metaphor captures her mother’s aging, fragility, and the transient nature of life, evoking the inevitability of her eventual departure.

Question 5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

Answer: The poet’s parting words, "See you soon, Amma," and her smile signify an attempt to mask her inner anguish and fear of losing her mother. They reflect her effort to reassure both herself and her mother with hope and optimism, even though she is deeply troubled by the thought of separation and mortality. Her smile is a courageous facade to conceal her pain.

 



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