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My mother at 66

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alkavashisht

The poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six" by Kamala Das describes the poet driving her mother to the airport. She notices her mother dozing in the passenger seat with a pale, ashen face like a corpse. This causes the poet pain. She diverts her attention to the lively scene outside of young trees sprinting and merry children playing. At the airport, the poet looks at her fading mother, comparing her to a late winter's moon. Though feeling childhood fears of separation, the poet smiles and says she will see her mother soon. The poem explores the complex relationship between mother and daughter as the mother ages.

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ASSIGNMENT- XII
My Mother At Sixty –Six Kamala Das About the Poet The poet, Kamala Das also wrote by her pen-name of ‘Madhavikutty’. She was born in Kerala and is one of India’s first poets. Her subject – matter is basically related to her personality- beautiful, sensitive, bold and tormented. External factors do not reflect in her writings, her writings bring out her true inner feelings. Her favourite poem is ‘composition’. In the poem ‘My mother at sixty six’, she talks about her mother. This poem is based on mother- daughter relation and the poet shares her feelings for her mother.
My Mother At Sixty –Six POEM IN SHORT 1. The poet is driving form her parent’s home to the Cochin airport . 2. Her mother , who is sixty-six years old ,is sitting beside her. 3. The old lady is dozing with her mouth open . 4. Her face looks pale and faded like ash . 5. It arouses pain in the poet’s heart . 6. The poet turns away her attention from her mother and looks outside . 7. The world outside is full of life and activity . 8. Trees seem running past and children seem to be enjoying while coming out of their homes. 9. They have to undergo a security check at the airport. 10. Standing a few yards away she looks at her mother . 11. She looks faded and weak like the late winner’s moon . 12. The old familiar ache and fear of the childhood return again . 13. But she scatters smiles wishing to meet her old ‘Amma ‘ again.
My Mother At Sixty –Six NEW / DIFFICULT WORDS 1. doze: a short, light sleep 2. ashen: very pale, like ash. 3. corpse: a dead body. 4. sprinting: here, shooting out of the ground. 5. spilling: here, to move out in great numbers. 6. wan: unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress dim, weak 7. ache: pain. 8. beside: alongside 9. Pale: dull, colourless 10. merry: happy
My Mother At Sixty –Six Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow : 1. “Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday” Explanation: The poetess explains that once when she visited her parent’s house in Cochin. It was a Friday when she was driving back to the airport, her mother was sitting beside her at the back of the car. The poet looked at her mother. Literary Devices: Assonance: Here we see the use of vowel sound that is ‘o’.(To Cochin last Friday morning)
My Mother At Sixty –Six 2. “doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse and realised with pain” • Explanation: She saw that her mother was sleeping and her mouth was open. She further explains that the colour of her mother’s face was like that of ash. (This means that there was some smoky appearance on her face). She looked like a dead body. • Literary Devices: Assonance: Use of vowel sound ‘o’,’a’, ‘e’ (doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse) • Simile: The colour of the mother’s face has been compared to that of a corpse - ashen. use of ‘like’ (her face ashen like that of a corpse)
My Mother At Sixty –Six 3. “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,” Explanation: The poetess realized that her mother had grown old. She felt pain for her. But soon she tried to get rid of this sad thought by diverting her thoughts towards the trees outside. The young trees although stationary seemed to be running very fast as though they were sprinting. She also saw children running out of their houses, into the playground. All these things were full of life and energy, contrary to her mother who sat next to her. Literary Devices: Consonance: use of the sound ‘s’ and ‘t’ imagery: when the poet say trees sprinting, merry children spilling Repetition: Repeated use of ‘looked’ 4. “but after the airport’s security check, standing a few yards away, I looked again at her, wan, pale” Explanation: The poet continues that when she reached the airport, she finished with the security check and stood a few yards away from her mother. She noticed her mother’s ageing face which looked so dull, weak and pale.
My Mother At Sixty –Six 5. “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: The poet compares her mother to a late winter’s moon as the moon in winters is not shiny and even her mother’s face had also lost her youth and shine. As her mother was getting older and weak.The poet feels the fear of separation just as she used to feel during her childhood. As a child, she could not bear the pain of separating from her mother. But now as her mother has grown old and is about to die, the poet feels that may be this is the last time that she is seeing her mother. She tries to hide her fear. She then says that she would soon see her mother again. She says so because she doesn’t want to lose her mother. Literary Devices: Repetition: use of ‘smile’ Rhyme scheme - The poem does not follow any rhyme or rhythm. It has been written in free verse. Simile: Mother’s face is compared to the late winter’s moon - both are dull and lifeless. use of ‘as’ (as a late winter’s moon).
1. Give the theme of Kamla Das’ poem ‘My Mother at Sixty Six’? Ans. The mother of the poet is not yet very old. She is sixty six. But due to her illness or so, she looks pale and ash colored like a dead body. The poet is in a hurry to catch a flight. She is deeply concerned about her aged murder. She is not sure of finding her alive on her next visit. She looks out of the car at the young trees and merry children. By contrast, the sight of the mother looks critical. She casts a last look at her at the airport. In order to cheer up the old mother, she smiles and smiles to hide her own fear and promises to see the old woman again.
My Mother At Sixty –Six 2. Bring out the poetic devices used in the poem? Ans. The poem captures the complex subtlety of human relationship in a texture of symbols, imagery, and other poetic devices. The entire poem is structured in the frame of a single sentence, punctuated by commas. It indicates a single string of thought that runs throughout the poem. There is a single simile in the explicit comparison of her mother’s ashen face to that of corpse. We find another simile in comparison between the pale visage of her mother and the late winters moon, as her face has lost its brightness. There is the use of personification in the line “Tress sprinting”, where tree are attributed with the quality of running swiftly, for enhancing the poetic effect. The poet has used alliteration in the use of the words, ‘familiar’, ‘fear’ with the repetition of the consonant sound (f). It also suggests the poet’s familiarity with her childhood fear and sorrow of losing her mother to death.
My Mother At Sixty –Six Justify the title. Explanation: It is about the experiences of her old mother so the title is apt. This is written by Kamala Das. It explains about the complexity of human relationships and several fears we have as humans, such as fear and loss of separation. As she approaches airport of Cochin, her mother accompanies her. The travel made her realize that her mother is aging makes her upset. She gets a fear of separation from her mother, which she also faced during her childhood. It is well written with all emotions.
My Mother At Sixty –Six • Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. 1. What do you think is the pain and the ache that the poetess feels". 2. How has the poet compared the scene inside with that of outside the car? 3. Why are the young trees described as "Sprinting"? 4. Why is the poet's mother compared to late winter's moon? 5. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding goodbye to her mother? 6. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?

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My mother at 66

  • 2. My Mother At Sixty –Six Kamala Das About the Poet The poet, Kamala Das also wrote by her pen-name of ‘Madhavikutty’. She was born in Kerala and is one of India’s first poets. Her subject – matter is basically related to her personality- beautiful, sensitive, bold and tormented. External factors do not reflect in her writings, her writings bring out her true inner feelings. Her favourite poem is ‘composition’. In the poem ‘My mother at sixty six’, she talks about her mother. This poem is based on mother- daughter relation and the poet shares her feelings for her mother.
  • 3. My Mother At Sixty –Six POEM IN SHORT 1. The poet is driving form her parent’s home to the Cochin airport . 2. Her mother , who is sixty-six years old ,is sitting beside her. 3. The old lady is dozing with her mouth open . 4. Her face looks pale and faded like ash . 5. It arouses pain in the poet’s heart . 6. The poet turns away her attention from her mother and looks outside . 7. The world outside is full of life and activity . 8. Trees seem running past and children seem to be enjoying while coming out of their homes. 9. They have to undergo a security check at the airport. 10. Standing a few yards away she looks at her mother . 11. She looks faded and weak like the late winner’s moon . 12. The old familiar ache and fear of the childhood return again . 13. But she scatters smiles wishing to meet her old ‘Amma ‘ again.
  • 4. My Mother At Sixty –Six NEW / DIFFICULT WORDS 1. doze: a short, light sleep 2. ashen: very pale, like ash. 3. corpse: a dead body. 4. sprinting: here, shooting out of the ground. 5. spilling: here, to move out in great numbers. 6. wan: unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress dim, weak 7. ache: pain. 8. beside: alongside 9. Pale: dull, colourless 10. merry: happy
  • 5. My Mother At Sixty –Six Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow : 1. “Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday” Explanation: The poetess explains that once when she visited her parent’s house in Cochin. It was a Friday when she was driving back to the airport, her mother was sitting beside her at the back of the car. The poet looked at her mother. Literary Devices: Assonance: Here we see the use of vowel sound that is ‘o’.(To Cochin last Friday morning)
  • 6. My Mother At Sixty –Six 2. “doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse and realised with pain” • Explanation: She saw that her mother was sleeping and her mouth was open. She further explains that the colour of her mother’s face was like that of ash. (This means that there was some smoky appearance on her face). She looked like a dead body. • Literary Devices: Assonance: Use of vowel sound ‘o’,’a’, ‘e’ (doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse) • Simile: The colour of the mother’s face has been compared to that of a corpse - ashen. use of ‘like’ (her face ashen like that of a corpse)
  • 7. My Mother At Sixty –Six 3. “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,” Explanation: The poetess realized that her mother had grown old. She felt pain for her. But soon she tried to get rid of this sad thought by diverting her thoughts towards the trees outside. The young trees although stationary seemed to be running very fast as though they were sprinting. She also saw children running out of their houses, into the playground. All these things were full of life and energy, contrary to her mother who sat next to her. Literary Devices: Consonance: use of the sound ‘s’ and ‘t’ imagery: when the poet say trees sprinting, merry children spilling Repetition: Repeated use of ‘looked’ 4. “but after the airport’s security check, standing a few yards away, I looked again at her, wan, pale” Explanation: The poet continues that when she reached the airport, she finished with the security check and stood a few yards away from her mother. She noticed her mother’s ageing face which looked so dull, weak and pale.
  • 8. My Mother At Sixty –Six 5. “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: The poet compares her mother to a late winter’s moon as the moon in winters is not shiny and even her mother’s face had also lost her youth and shine. As her mother was getting older and weak.The poet feels the fear of separation just as she used to feel during her childhood. As a child, she could not bear the pain of separating from her mother. But now as her mother has grown old and is about to die, the poet feels that may be this is the last time that she is seeing her mother. She tries to hide her fear. She then says that she would soon see her mother again. She says so because she doesn’t want to lose her mother. Literary Devices: Repetition: use of ‘smile’ Rhyme scheme - The poem does not follow any rhyme or rhythm. It has been written in free verse. Simile: Mother’s face is compared to the late winter’s moon - both are dull and lifeless. use of ‘as’ (as a late winter’s moon).
  • 9. 1. Give the theme of Kamla Das’ poem ‘My Mother at Sixty Six’? Ans. The mother of the poet is not yet very old. She is sixty six. But due to her illness or so, she looks pale and ash colored like a dead body. The poet is in a hurry to catch a flight. She is deeply concerned about her aged murder. She is not sure of finding her alive on her next visit. She looks out of the car at the young trees and merry children. By contrast, the sight of the mother looks critical. She casts a last look at her at the airport. In order to cheer up the old mother, she smiles and smiles to hide her own fear and promises to see the old woman again.
  • 10. My Mother At Sixty –Six 2. Bring out the poetic devices used in the poem? Ans. The poem captures the complex subtlety of human relationship in a texture of symbols, imagery, and other poetic devices. The entire poem is structured in the frame of a single sentence, punctuated by commas. It indicates a single string of thought that runs throughout the poem. There is a single simile in the explicit comparison of her mother’s ashen face to that of corpse. We find another simile in comparison between the pale visage of her mother and the late winters moon, as her face has lost its brightness. There is the use of personification in the line “Tress sprinting”, where tree are attributed with the quality of running swiftly, for enhancing the poetic effect. The poet has used alliteration in the use of the words, ‘familiar’, ‘fear’ with the repetition of the consonant sound (f). It also suggests the poet’s familiarity with her childhood fear and sorrow of losing her mother to death.
  • 11. My Mother At Sixty –Six Justify the title. Explanation: It is about the experiences of her old mother so the title is apt. This is written by Kamala Das. It explains about the complexity of human relationships and several fears we have as humans, such as fear and loss of separation. As she approaches airport of Cochin, her mother accompanies her. The travel made her realize that her mother is aging makes her upset. She gets a fear of separation from her mother, which she also faced during her childhood. It is well written with all emotions.
  • 12. My Mother At Sixty –Six • Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. 1. What do you think is the pain and the ache that the poetess feels". 2. How has the poet compared the scene inside with that of outside the car? 3. Why are the young trees described as "Sprinting"? 4. Why is the poet's mother compared to late winter's moon? 5. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding goodbye to her mother? 6. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?