About the Poet

Kamala Surayya, popularly known by her one-time pen

name Madhavikutty and married name Kamala Das, was
an Indian poet in English as well as an author in
Malayalam from Kerala, India.
Born: 31 March 1934,Punnayukulam
Died : 31 May 2009, Pune
Das's poetry collections included Summer in Calcutta
(1965), The Descendants (1967), and The Old Playhouse,
and Other Poems (1973).
Background of the poem and the poet
About the poet
Kamala Das (1934) was born in Malabar, Kerala. She is recognised as
one of India’s foremost poets. Her works are known for their
originality, versatility and the indigenous flavour of the soil. Kamala
Das has published many novels and short stories in English and
Malayalam under the name ‘Madhavikutty’.

Some of her works in English include the novel Alphabet of Lust (1977),
a collection of short stories Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories
(1992), in addition to five books of poetry. She is a sensitive writer who
captures thecomplex subtleties of human relationships in lyrical idiom,
My Mother at Sixty-six is an example
 The Theme of the Poem
This confessional poem is as intense in its feeling as it is subtle in its
approach. The poem engages with a plethora of mingled emotions
ranging from love, pain, nostalgia, sadness and despair.
Furthermore, action and emotion are beautifully intertwined in this
poem.

The idea of movement is central to understanding the poem: the

physical movement to the airport, the emotional journey of the poet
and the movement of her mother towards old age are all intermingled
in this poem about love, longing and separation
 About the poem
My Mother at Sixty-Six is a poignant poem by Kamala Das which
deals with the themes of aging, 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.
My Mother At Sixty-six
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
 My Mother At Sixty-six
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......
 Let’s Recap
1. 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
found it to be strikingly opposite to her mother who looked
as still as a dead body.
 Let’s Recap
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.
 Let’s Recap
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.
 Let’s Recap
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......”
Let’s Recap
Let’s Recap