NOTES PREPARED BY
ASHAQ HUSSAIN BHAT
TEACHER SCHOOL
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
"MY MOTHER AT SIXTY-SIX"
By "Kamala Das"
Q1. How does the poet describe her mother in the poem?
Ans. The poet describes her mother as aged, weak, pale and wan. Her face has turned yellow like the yellow face of a dead body. She realizes that her mother is not going to live long. This thought fills her with much pain.
Q2. Why does the poet look outside? What activities does the poet see outside the car window?
Ans. The poetess looks outside the window to drive out her negative feelings about her mother She sees a world full of life and activities. She sees green young trees racing past the speeding car She sees the children coming out of their homes and playing joy fully,
Q3. Why are the young trees in the poem described as sprinting?
Ans. The young trees have been described as sprinting' because they are shown as racing past the speeding car. But in reality it is the car that is moving. These trees are grim reminders of time which has passed
Q4. Why is the mother compared to the late winter's moon?
Ans. Because just as the late winter moon is mostly covered with clouds, looks pale and dull in the same way the mother has disappeared in her old age looking weak, pale and wan. Moreover winter is the last stage of a year and old age is also the last stage of life.
Q5. What childhood fears do you think the poet is referring to in the poem 'My Mother at sixty-six?
Ans. In the poem 'My Mother at sixty-six' the poet is referring to the childhood fear of death of mother and separation from her. It is difficult for a child to imagine life without a mother,
06. What does Kamala Das do after the security check up? What does she notice?
Ans. After security check up Kamala Das stands a few yards away and looks at her mother. The sight of the mother's pale weak face gives her pain. She notices that her face has turned yellow like the winter moon.
Q7. But all said was, see you soon Amma; all I did 'as smile and simple........(a) what does the poet actually feel at this moment?
Ans. The poet actually feels heartbroken because of her mother's old age and approaching death and her separation from her. She also feels that she would perhaps never see her mother again. She tries to cheer up for her mother.
(b) Why did the poet say 'see you soon Amma' ?What does the poet actually mean by 'smile and smile'? What kind of smile is it?
Ans. The poet said 'see you soon Amma' because although she is aware of her old age an approaching death but she is still hopefully of seeing her soon. The poet means that she should smile continuously so that her mother should not judge her sorrow It is not a real smile but it is only showy one because the poet was hurt heartily on seeing the old age and appraching death of her mother. Driving from my parents' 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 and thought away.
(a). Where was poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
Ans. The poet was driving to the Cochin airport. Her mother was sitting beside her.
(b) What did the poet notice about her mother?
Ans. The poet noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open. Her face was pale and grey like ash. It looked as if it had been a dead body.
(C) Why did the mother's face look like that of corpse?
Ans. Just as the face of a corpse turns pale, in the same way her face had turned pale like that of a corpse.
09. Discuss mother daughter relationship as described in the poem?
Ans. Relationship is the nucleus of the poem. The relationship described is the relationship between a mother and a daughter. Mother knows that her daughter has to leave her house after the marriage. Daughter is also disappointed at the thought of her separation from her mother. In this poem when the poet is leaving her parents home and going to Cochin, her mother accompanies her up to airport, she notices her corpse like ashen face which reminds her "her approaching death. She is in pain. But hiding her pain in her heart she bids good bye to her with a showy smile and promises to see her soon.
Q 10. My mother at sixty-six is an emotional account of the poet towards the numbered days of her mother. Discuss.
Ans. The poem "My mother at sixty-six is an emotional account of the poet about the numbered days of her mother. The poet is on her way to the airport to Cochin with her mother sitting beside her. When she looks at her, she notices her corpse like ashen face which reminds her of her approaching death. The daughter is deeply disturbed with the thought of imaging life without her mother. She is in pain. But hiding her pain in her heart she bids good bye to her with a showy smile and promises to see her soon.
Learning about the literary Devices:
QI. The poet compares her mother to many things. Pick out to smiles which reinforce this comparison?
Ans. The two similes are the following:
(i) Her face ashen like that of a corpse.
(ii) Wan, pale as a late winter's moon.
02. What image does the poet use to describe death in the poem?
Ans. The image the poet uses to describe death in the poem is "her face ashen like that of a corpse".
Q3. Cite an example of one device of contrast that the poet uses in the poem?
Q4. Smile and smile and smile.... Is a poetic device. What is it called?
Ans. This poetic device is called Repetition.
"Summery of the poems"
The poem "My mother at sixty-six" is written by Kamala Das. In this poem, the poetess says it was a Friday morning. She was driving from her parent home to the Cochin airport. Her mother, who was sixty-six years old, was sitting beside her. The old lady was dozing with her mouth open Her face looked pale and faded like ash. It looked lifeless like a dead body It aroused pain in the poet's heart. Her mother looked old and her dead like ashen face reminded her of her mother's approaching to death. She at once turned away her attention from her mother and looked outside the window of the car. The young trees were running past them. She looked at the happy children coming out of their homes.
At the airport, the poetess went through the security check. Her mother was standing outside a few yards away. After the security check, the poetess again looked of her mother from the distance. She was pained to look at the colourless, lifeless and pale face of her mother. This aroused the old familiar ache in her heart. Her old childhood fear returned. But she only bade good bye to her old mother and wished to see her again. She did nothing except, smiling and smiling again.
"Central idea of the poem"
The poem revolves around the theme of aging and the fear that adheres to its loss and separation. It is a sentimental account of the mother's approaching death through the lens of a daughter. The poet is on her way to the airport to Cochin with her mother sitting beside her. When she looks at her. She notice corpse like ashen face which reminds her of her approaching death. The daughter is deeply disturbed with the thought of imaging life without her mother. She is in pain. But hiding her pain in her heart she bids good bye to her with a showy smile and promises to see her soon.
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