MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX

-Kamala Das
THEME
The poem revolves around the theme of advancing age and the fears and apprehensions that it
brings in people around the elderly. 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. The poet uses the device
of comparison and contrast, simile and repetition.

Poetic Devices/ Figures of speech

1. Simile – ‘Ashen like that of a corpse’, ‘Like a late winter’s moon’
2. Personification – “Sprinting trees”
3. Repetition – “Smile and smile and smile.”
4. Alliteration – “See you soon…”
5. Imagery/Metaphor- “The merry children spilling out of their homes”

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS:

Q1.
“I looked again at her, wan,
pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that
old
familiar ache, my childhood fear,
but all I said was, see you soon,
Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and
smile……………….”

a) What was the poet’s childhood fear?

Answer: In her childhood, the poet was insecure about losing her mother, just as all young
children usually are.
b) What were the poet’s parting words?
Answer : The poet’s parting words were, “See you soon, Amma”, which are suggestive of the
hope that they will meet again.
c) What is the poetic device used in the second line?
Answer : The poetic device used in the second line is simile.
d) Why did the poet smile and smile?
Answer : The poet smiled and smiled (smiled continuously) to reassure her mother and herself
that there was nothing to worry.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. What is the kind of ache that the poet feels?
When the poet looks at her mother’s face closely, she discovers that she had aged and fears
losing her. The very thought that her mother was old, needed care and help pains the poet. She
feels that her mother could die any moment and then she would lose her forever. This thought
disturbs and frightens her. Though she finds it hard to contain the pain, she puts up a façade of
being happy and carefree.
Q2.Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
The young trees have been personified. When looked at from the poet’s moving car, they seem to
be running past. The poet creates such an image to show the striking opposite between the
vibrancy and life outside the car and her mother who looked as still as a dead body.
Q3.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 of the word ‘smile’.
HOMEWORK QUESTIONS
Q1. Answer the questions very briefly with reference to the context:

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……….

a) Where was the poet driving to?

b) Why was her mother’s face looking like that of a corpse?
c) What did the poet notice about her mother?
d) Why was the realization painful?

Q2. Answer the following questions briefly:

a) Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
b) Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?