CBSE Class 12 English My Mother At Sixty Six Notes Set C

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX BY KAMALA DAS

THEME: OLD AGE, DEATH AND SEPARATION

My Mother at Sixty-Six is a poignant poem by Kamala Das which deals with the themes of ageing, a person’s love for her mother, separation, uncertainty and death. A sensory and deeply sensitive poem, My Mother at Sixty-Six is a first person confessional poem that captures the reader’s attention and provides a glimpse of the subtle intricacies of a mother-daughter relationship. The poem captures the speaker’s train of thought and the entire poem is written in a single sentence.

The poet confesses her innermost fears about her mother’s old age and impending death. The tone is conversational. Death is inevitable but people still fear the death of their loved ones. The poet also captures the subtleties of human relationships, this poem being the best example of the bonding between a mother and her daughter. The poem defines her fear of losing her mother.

POETIC DEVICES IN THE POEM

• Simile: Comparison between two things that are different from each other but have similar qualities. It is introduced by words such as like and as. Eg: as a late winter’s moon; Her face ashen like that of a corpse.
• Personification: Attributing human qualities to inanimate things. E.g.: trees sprinting.
• Alliteration: It is a figure of speech wherein the sentence consists of a series of words that have the same consonant sound at the beginning. Eg: And all I said was, see you soon, Amma.
• Repetition: A word or phrase is repeated to enhance the poetic effect. Eg: all I did was smile and smile and smile………..
• Imagery and contrast: It presents an image of sharp contrasting things or ideas. E.g.: merry children spilling—a picture of youth and vitality as opposed to the old and ageing mother.

Note: There is no consistent rhyme scheme. It’s written in free verse.

POEM AT A GLANCE

• The poet is travelling to Cochin Airport with her mother beside her.
• The mother dozes off with her mouth open, her face looks lifeless like a dead body.
• The poet realises with pain that her mother is ageing, weak and fragile. Her death is fast approaching. As she confronts the mortality of her mother, the old familiar ache of separation which she had experienced in her childhood resurfaces.
• The thought disturbs her and she tries to distract herself by looking outside the window.
• She sees trees “sprinting” and merry children “spilling” out of their homes.
• “Sprinting” means to run fast. When observed from the moving car, the trees appeared to be sprinting.
• “Merry children” present a happy picture. Both the trees and children represent life, growth and vitality. This picture is in sharp contrast to that of her old and fragile mother.
• The poet’s mother looks dull and hazy like the winter’s moon, a sign of ebbing life.
• The poet reaches the airport and bids farewell to her mother. She hides her fear and emotions behind her smile and says, “See you soon Amma”.
• The poet masks her anxiety and fear with her smile and reassures her mother to meet again. She is being brave and hopeful.

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

A) “I looked again at her, wan, Pale
As 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…”

Question 1. What is the poet’s mother compared to in the above lines and why?
Answer: The poet’s mother is compared to the late winter’s moon. Both are wan, pale and lifeless. Winter is the last season of a year and similarly the poet’s mother is also in the last stage of her life.

Question 2. Define her childhood’s fear.
Answer: The poet feared separation from her mother in her childhood. This fear resurfaces now when she sees her mother old and approaching death.

Question 3. Identify the sentence which has the same figure of speech as in the line (underlined) above:
(a) The plants were begging for water.
(b) Life is a game of chess.
(c) The raindrops fell from the sky like teardrops.
(d) Sally sells seashells by the sea shore.
Answer: (c) The raindrops fell from the sky like teardrops.( simile)

Question 4. Pick up the line which is an example for repetition in the above lines.
Answer: All I did was smile and smile and smile…

B) “……….. but soon
Put that thought away, and
Looked out at young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
Out of their homes…”

Question 1. What was the thought which she had to put away?
Answer: The poet was perturbed by the sight of her mother’s old age and impending death. She wanted to put away the thought of separation from her mother.

Question 2. Explain “trees sprinting”.
Answer: The trees appeared to be sprinting when observed from a moving car. Trees have been personified here.

Question 3. Why does she mention the trees and children here?
Answer: Trees and children present an image of growth and vitality. They symbolise life. The poet mentions them to bring a contrast with her ageing mother.

Question 4. In the provided extract, the speaker's transition from introspective reflection to observing external elements suggests:
(a) A sense of nostalgia for childhood innocence.
(b) A shift in focus from internal contemplation to external surroundings.
(c) A metaphorical representation of the passage of time.
(d) A psychological exploration of the human mind's capacity for imagination.
Answer: (b) A shift in focus from internal contemplation to external surroundings.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (40-50 WORDS)

I) Why does the poet look outside the window of the car?
Answer: She wants to distract herself from the uncomfortable thoughts pertaining to her mother’s mortality and inevitable separation.

II) What has the poet’s mother been compared to?
Answer: The poet’s mother has been compared to a corpse and a winter’s moon—symbols of ebbing life.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Question III. The poet’s reaction in the end is contrary to what she felt. Why?
Answer: [Full solution text]

Question IV. What fear did she experience once again now?
Answer: [Full solution text]

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Compose a diary entry depicting Kamala Das's mother's reflections after bidding farewell to her daughter at the airport.
Answer:

• Format: First person narration
• Introduction and Setting the Scene: After bidding farewell to my daughter... With a heavy heart, I entered...
• Feelings and Emotions: My heart was heavy with... Tears welled up in my eyes as I... Loneliness engulfed me as I...
• Reflections on the Farewell: Watching my daughter leave filled me with... Seeing her disappear into the crowd left me with...
• Regrets and Hopes: I wish I had... I hope she knows... I pray for her safety and...
• Conclusion and Closure: Despite the sadness, I find solace in... Tomorrow is another day, and I must... With love and longing, I sign off….