My Mother at Sixty-Six Explanation and Question Answer 

About Kamala Das

Kamala Das, Malayalam pen name Madhavikutty, Muslim name Kamala Surayya, (born March 31, 1934, Thrissur, Malabar Coast [now in Kerala], British India—died May 31, 2009, Pune, India),

In 1999 she controversially converted to Islam, renaming herself Kamala Surayya. She received many literary awards, including the Asian World Prize for Literature in 1985.

My Mother at Sixty-Six Explanation

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 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……

Explanation of the Poem: 

Firstly, when the poet is on her way to the cochin airport with her old mother sitting beside her, she looks at her closely and presents before us her image.

She compares her with a corpse. (simile is a figure of speech to show comparison between her mother’s face and a corpse.)  As she looks at her mother’s pale and pallid face, she is struck with the horror and pain of losing her. The mother with the dozing face and open mouth is compared to a corpse. Here, the poet shows the typical love and affection which is present in a mother-daughter relation.

The poet is pained and shifts her attention outside the car in order to drive out the negative feelings. She changes her sad mood .The scene outside the window is of growing life and energy. The rapidly sprinting trees alongside the merrily playing children symbolize life, youth and vitality. The poet here is reminded of her own childhood when her mother had been young whereas now she is encircled with the fear of losing her and that has made her insecure.

She is at the airport to take a flight. It indicates departure and separation which creates melancholy. As she bids goodbye to her mother, the image of the old, wan, worn out mother in the twilight of years strikes her again. Here again a simile is used to compare her mother with a late winter’s moon whose light is obstacle by fog and mist As she looks old now, her personality is affected by it.

The poet is feeling the pain of separation, leaving her mother and going. Also, her childhood fear of losing her mother which she feels that earlier was temporary but now, could be forever as she could die of old age, is haunting her. She is so pained that it is natural for her to cry but keeping a brave front she hides her tears and smiles.

She bids farewell to her mother and keeping her hope of seeing her again alive, says “see you soon, Amma”. She hides her sorrow as she does not want to create a painful environment for her mother and conveys her that as she is enjoying her life similarly her mother should also be happy and enjoy her life.

 

(The poem revolves around the theme of advancing age and the fear that adheres to its loss and separation. It is a sentimental account of the mother’s approaching end through the eyes of the daughter. The seemingly short poem touches upon the theme of the filial bond between the mother and daughter smeared in the backdrop of nostalgia and fear. Nostalgia of the past (the time spent with the mother) and fear of the future without her.)

It is a short poem, without a full stop, the poem is like a long sentence, over flowing thought process. The poet uses the device of comparison and contrast, simile and repetition.

My Mother at Sixty-Six DIFFICULT WORD MEANING

doze: a short, light sleep

ashen: very pale, like ash.

corpse: a dead body.

sprinting: here, shooting out of the ground.

spilling: here, to move out in great numbers.

wan: unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress.

ache: pain.

Beside            Along side/next to

Doze               Nap/sleeping

Ashen             Pale / colourless

Corpse             Dead body

Merry             Happy and cheerful

Spilling           Let out

Sprinting        Moving Fast

Wan                Dim/weak

Pale                 Dull / colourless

Ache               Continuous feeling of pain

 

 My Mother at Sixty-Six Explanation in Details 

The poem My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das is a short verse without a full stop. The poet is on the way to Cochin Airport along with her mother who is quite old now. Seeing her (mother’s) dull face, a sense of fear arises in the poet.

Thus aging and the fear of losing one’s dears due to it are the central themes of this poem. However, in the end, the poet also realizes that fear of death does not come with ageing but remains with one from childhood.

She also stresses the mother-daughter relation and the irreparable loss the former is going to suffer because of the latter’s death. The poet also tries to hide her feeling from her mother either by looking at the things that are young (children, green trees, etc) or by putting a fake smile (and I smiled, smiled and smiled) on her face.

The poet uses a number of similes to describe the condition of her old mother, repetition to show how she managed to hide her feeling and personification to show the plants in their blooming stage. We also find the idea of escapism. The poem is free verse without any rhyme scheme.

The poem My Mother at Sixty Six is without any full stop or in other words, it is a one-sentence poem. Hence I have divided it as per my convenience.

Stanza 1

In the first stanza, the poet begins by telling that the last Friday morning, she was driving to Cochin. She saw her mother who was sitting beside her.

The use of the phrase last Friday morning is not just to depict a day but also to show that it is past now. In other words, the poet uses this phrase in order to tell that time never stops. Everything in the world goes in the past.

The poet probably tries to compare her mother with last Friday morning as both had their springtime (mother was young and the day had its morning) but now they are in the past  (the day has gone and her mother’s youth has also gone). Thus in the very first lines, the central theme of the poem is revealed.

Stanza 2

In the second stanza, the poet discusses the miserable condition of her old mother. According to the poet, her mother seemed to be in light sleep with her mouth open- a helpless state. She compares her pale and ash-like face with that of a corpse.

Thus she finds her mother to be corpse-like or in other words, she finds her (mother) near death. This makes her realize that her mother has grown old and this very realization is quite painful. Here one can sense the love of a daughter for her mother and her fear of losing her.

Stanza 3

In the third stanza, we find the poet’s attempt to escape the painful experience. She looks out of the car and sees young trees that are coming out of the ground and merry children who are moving out of their homes.

Both trees and children show the growing and energetic stage of one’s life which according to the poet is the stage of merry-making. Hence the poet, in a way, finds relief at a young age and tries to escape there.

If we compare this stanza with the previous one, we find that the poet tries to contrast the old age at a young age.

The old age is doomed, lifeless and helpless and one cannot get relief from it as it reminds of death whereas a young age is full of joy and ecstasy that symbolizes strength vigor and happiness and gives a sort of relief.

Stanza 4

In this stanza, the poet who has reached the airport stands at a distance from her old mother and again puts her eyes on her. This time she again seems to be pale. The poet compares her (mother) with late winter’s moon whose glow is dimmed by mist and fog making it appear pale, dull and lifeless.

The poet is reminded of the childhood fear of losing her mother. She suffers the same pain now as she suffered in her childhood.

Thus in this stanza, the poet reveals that the fear of losing one’s dear does not bear by old age but it is eternal and remains with one even in childhood. Hence the poet juxtaposes the fear of both the stages of one’s life.

Stanza 5

In the final stanza, the poet who is unable to bear the pain and find a solution to her fear and pain, bids goodbye and says see you soon, Amma and ultimately put a fake smile on her face (all I did was smile and smile and smile…)

The stanza is quite ironic and so are the things that the poet does. She says see you soon, Amma though she knows that she won’t be able to see her again. Again she does smile and smile and smile though she is in grief and sorrow.

Hence these lines depict the irony of life. Life is full of false promises, fake smiles and temporary joy whereas death and loss are ultimate and its fear remains in one’s mind right from a young age. Thus the poem My Mother at Sixty Six begins with the mourn over old age ends with mourning over the whole life.

My Mother at Sixty-Six MP Board Question Answer

Question 1. What was the poet’s childhood fear?

As a child Kamala Das was insecure about losing her mother just as all young children often are. The same feelings are evoked inside her while she is on the way to the airport, as she sees her mother’s wan, pale face, which is a sign of her old age and impending death.

Question 2. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?

When the poet looks at her mother’s face closely, she discovers that she has aged and her end is near. She feels that her mother can die any moment and that then she will lose her forever. Her childhood fear of losing her mother which was then timely but now, will be forever. The poet feels the pain of her mother’s old age and her helplessness towards her. She has the fear of separating from her mother forever, upon her death.

Question 3. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

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

The poet draws a comparison between what is travelling with her and what she can see outside. It’s a comparison between life and death. Her mother is sleeping, with mouth open, like a dead body, while outside she can see children who are full of life, energy and enthusiasm.

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

Just as the late winter’s moon is dull and lacks luster, so is her mother at the end stage of her life. Also, as the late winter moon gets overshadowed by the fog and mist in the sky similarly her mother can get overshadowed by death at any time. Both of them are nearing an end- one of season and the other of life.

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

The poet’s parting words and her smile are a facade (FALSE APPEARANCE) to hide her feelings of insecurity. The wan and pale appearance of her mother brings back her childhood fear of losing her mother. She can definitely experience the fear of separation, yet she bids her farewell in a pleasant manner. She reassures her mother that all will be well and they would meet again. She hides her sorrow as she does not want to create a painful environment for her mother and conveys her that as she is enjoying her life similarly her mother should also be happy and enjoy her life.

Question 6 . Explain the Theme or Central idea of the poem my mother at sixty six?

The Theme of the poem are ageing, nostalgia, loss and separation, as well as the deep love and affection between a mother and daughter. Poem also depicts the helplessness and aspirations of the young generation. It portrays the different stages of life and how everybody grows old and faces various situations that life throws at them

Question 7 . What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and look outside?

The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless like a corpse. She provides an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems to be lost in her thoughts. The poet needs a distraction, a change. She puts that thought away and looks outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness and activity.

Question 8 . Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?

The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her dozing with mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the poet watches young trees speeding past them. They seem to be running fast or sprinting. Happy children are moving out of their homes cheerfully. They present an image of life, dynamism and activity.

Question 9 . What poetic devices have been used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?

The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is rich in imagery. Kamala Das uses the devices of comparison and contrast. The use of simile is very effective. The face of the poet’s old mother is described as ‘ashen’. This ashen face is ‘like that of a corpse’. The poet uses another simile. The “wan, pale’ face of the mother is compared to ‘a late winter’s moon’.

The poem excels in contrasts. The old ‘dozing’ lady inside is contrasted with the young trees “sprinting” and merry children “spilling” out of their homes.

Question 10. Where was the poet going and who was with her?

The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. The poet’s mother had come to see her off. She was sitting beside her. She was dozing with her mouth open. The words ‘driving’ and ‘doze’ provide a contrast between images of dynamic activity and static passivity respectively.

My Mother at Sixty Six Question Answers

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

When the poet looks at her mother’s face closely, she discovers that she has aged and her end is near. The feeling of her mother being old, needing care and help pains the poet as there is no one to look after her. She feels that her mother can die any moment and that then she will lose her forever. Her childhood fear of losing her mother which was then timely but now, will be forever, resurfaces. The poet feels the pain of her mother’s old age and her helplessness towards her. She has the fear of separating from her mother forever, upon her death.

Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’? 

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

The poet draws a comparison between what is travelling with her and what she can see outside. It’s a comparison between life and death. Her mother is sleeping, with mouth open, like a dead body, while outside she can see children who are full of life, energy and enthusiasm.

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

Just as the late winter’s moon is dull and lacks luster, so is her mother at the end stage of her life. Also, as the late winter moon gets overshadowed by the fog and mist in the sky similarly her mother can get overshadowed by death at any time. Both of them are nearing an end- one of season and the other of life.

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

The parting words of the poet show her positive attitude. She overcomes her pain and fear, assures herself and her mother that they would meet again. She is being very brave which is indicated by the use of repetition in the poem:

“smile and smile and smile……”

 

My Mother at sixty-six Extract based questions

 

Question 1. Mention any one instance of metaphor used in the poem.

A. face ashen (colour of the face is similar to the colour of ash)

Question 2. Which word means sleeping?

A. Doze

Question 3. State true or False

The trees were not sprinting

A. True

Question 4. What is yard?

a. Unit of measuring time

b. Unit of measuring distance

c. Unit of measuring weight

d. Unit of measuring speed

A. b

Question 5. Which figure of speech is used in the last line?

A. Repetition (to emphasize)

Question 6. Mention the instances of imagery.

A. Young trees sprinting

Merry children spilling out of their homes

Question 7. Which of the following figures of speech can be seen throughout the poem?

a. Personification

b. Enjambment

c. Rhyme

d. Repetition

A. b

Question 8. What is the theme of the poem?

a. Aging

b. Nostalgia

c. loss and separation

d. All of these

A. d

Question 9. The poet was going to Cochin by ____

a. Car

b. Train

c. aeroplane

d. Can’t say

A. c

Question 10. What was the poet’s childhood fear?

A. Her childhood fear was the fear of getting separated from her mother.

 

 

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:

1. 

Driving from my parents home to Cochin last Friday morning, 1 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

Questions

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

(b)What did the poet notice about her mother?

(c)Why was her mother’s face looked like that of a corpse?

(d)Find words from the passage which mean :

(i) sleep lightly (ii) dead body (iii) felt.

Answers:

(a)The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. Her mother was sitting beside her.

(b)She noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open.

(c)Her mother’s face looked pale, faded and lifeless like a dead body because she had grown old.

(d)(i) doze (ii) corpse (iii) realised.

2.…………..She

looked but soon

put that thought away, and

looked out at Young

Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

out of their homes,

Questions

(a)What did the poet realise? How did she feel

(b) What did she do then?

(c)What did she notice in the world outside?

(d)Find words from the passage which mean: (ii) running fast (ii) happy (iii) moving out.

Answers:

(a)Her mother was lost somewhere else in thoughts. It pained her.

(b)The poet withdrew her thoughts from her mother and looked outside.

(c)The young trees growing outside went past as if they were sprinting. Happy children were coming out of their houses.

(d)(i) sprinting (ii) merry (iii) spilling.

3………………but after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s mooft 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

Questions

(a)What did the poet do after the security check?

(b)Why did the poet compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon?

(c)What is her childhood fear ?

(d)How do the parting words of the poet and her smile present a contrast to her real feelings?

Answers:

(a)After the security check, the poet stood a few yards away from her mother and looked at her face again.

(b)The late winter moon lacks brightness as well as strength. The pale and colourless face of the mother resembles the late winter moon.

(c)The fear of ageing and ultimate death/separation.

(d)The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles present a stark contrast to the old familiar ache or childhood fear. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide what is going on inside.

My Mother at Sixty-Six

Q1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?

Ans: When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar pain or the ache returns. Perhaps she has entertained this fear since her childhood. Ageing is a natural process. Time and ageing spare none. Time and ageing have not spared the poet’s mother and may not spare her as well. With this ageing, separation and death become inevitable.

Q2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

Ans:  The poet is driving to the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees seem to be walking past them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or sprinting. The poet presents a contrast—her ‘dozing’ old mother and the ‘sprinting’ young trees.

Q3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ ?

Ans: The poet has brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ to present a contrast. The merry children coming out of their homes in large numbers present an image of happiness and spontaneous overflow of life. This image is in stark contrast to the ‘dozing’ old mother, whose ‘ashen’ face looks lifeless and pale like a corpse. She is an image of ageing, decay and passivity. The contrast of the two images enhances the poetic effect.

Q4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?

Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken ‘ashen’ face resembles a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. Similarly the late winter’s moon looks hazy and obscure. It too lacks shine and strength. The comparison is quite natural and appropriate. The simile used here is apt as well as effective.

Q5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

Ans: The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast to the old familiar ache or fear of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide her real feelings. The parting words: “See you soon, Amma” give an assurance to the old lady whose ‘ashen face’ looks like a corpse. Similarly, her continuous smiles are an attempt to overcome the ache and fear inside her heart.

My Mother at Sixty-Six SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 

Q1. Where was the poet going and who was with her?

Ans: The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. The poet’s mother had come to see her off. She was sitting beside her. She was dozing with her mouth open. The words ‘driving’ and ‘doze’ provide a contrast between images of dynamic activity and static passivity respectively.

Q2. What was the poet’s childhood fear? 

Ans: The child is always in fear of being separated from his parents. In the same way, the poet’s fear as a child was that of losing her mother or her company.

Q3. What does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify her ageing decay?

Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing with her mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Usually old people keep their mouth open to overcome breathing problems. Her face looked pale and faded like ash. Actually, she is an image of death as her ‘ashen’ face looks like that of a corpse.

Q4. What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and look outside?

Ans: The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless like a corpse. She provides an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems to be lost in her thoughts. The poet needs a distraction, a change. She puts that thought away and looks outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness and activity.

Q5. Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?

Ans: The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her dozing with mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the poet watches young trees speeding past them. They seem to be running fast or sprinting. Happy children are moving out of their homes cheerfully. They present an image of life, dynamism and activity.

Q6. Why does the poet look outside? What does she see happening outside?

Ans: The thought of the ageing mother at sixty-six and her pale and ashen face looking like a corpse becomes too heavy for the poet to bear. She needs a distraction, a diversion and therefore she looks outside. She watches young trees. These trees speed past them and appear to be sprinting. Then she sees happy children moving out of their houses and making merry.

Q7. How has the poet contrasted the scene inside the car with the activities going on outside?

Ans: The poet has used beautiful images to highlight the stark contrast between the scene inside the car and the activities going on outside. The ‘ashen’ face of the poet’s mother is pale and lifeless. It looks like that of a corpse. She is dozing and lost to herself. The image of the ‘dozing’ mother is contrasted with the ‘spilling’ of children. The ‘ashen’ and ‘corpse¬like’ face is contrasted with the young trees sprinting outside.

Q8. What does the poet do after the security check-up? What does she notice?

Ans: They have to pass through a security check-up at the airport. After it, the poet stands a few yards away. Before saying parting words to her mother, she looks at her mother again. Her face looks pale and colourless like the late winter’s moon. She presents a picture of ageing and decay.

Q9. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?

Ans: The poet’s mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon to bring out the similarity of ageing and decay. The late winter moon looks hazy and obscure. It lacks shine and strength. The poet’s mother has an ‘ashen’ face resembling a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. The comparison reinforces the impact.

Q10. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?

Ans: The poet is pained at the ageing and decaying of her mother. The fear is that with ageing comes decay and death. The sight of her old mother’s ‘ashen’ and corpse-like face arouses “that old familiar ache” in her heart. Her childhood fear returns. She is also pained and frightened by the idea that she may have to face all these things herself.

Q11. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?

Ans: Kamala Das was in much trouble after seeing the lifeless and faded face of her mother. The old lady seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The poetess turned away her attention from her mother and looked outside. The outside world was full of life and activity. The young trees seemed to be running fast. The children looked happy while moving out of their homes.

Q12. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother ?

OR

With fear and ache inside her heart and words of assurance on lips and smile on the face, the poet presents two opposite and contrasting experiences. Why does the poet put on a smile?

Ans: The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother at sixty-six brings an image of decay and death. It brings that old familiar fear of separation back. She fears the ultimate fate of human beings. But she has to put on a brave face. She regains self-control. She composes herself and tries to look normal. She utters the words of assurance that they will meet again soon. She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.

Q13. What poetic devices have been used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?

Ans: The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is rich in imagery. Kamala Das uses the devices of comparison and contrast. The use of simile is very effective. The face of the poet’s old mother is described as ‘ashen’. This ashen face is ‘like that of a corpse’. The poet uses another simile. The “wan, pale’ face of the mother is compared to ‘a late winter’s moon’.

The poem excels in contrasts. The old ‘dozing’ lady inside is contrasted with the young trees “sprinting” and merry children “spilling” out of their homes.