My
Mother at Sixty-Six by Kamala Das
📚 About the Poet: Kamala Das (1934–2009)
- Indian English poet and short-story writer.
- Known for her confessional style—frankly
expressing personal feelings.
- Major works: Summer in Calcutta, The
Descendants, My Story (autobiography).
- Themes: Love, loneliness, identity, womanhood, aging.
Text of the Poem
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 but soon
put that thought away, and 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……
📖 Summary (Paraphrase)
The poet Kamala Das is on her
way to the Cochin airport to take a flight. Her aged mother sits
beside her, dozing with an open mouth, her face pale and
lifeless like a corpse. The poet feels deep pain on seeing
her mother’s old age and realizes her fear of losing her mother.
To distract herself, she looks
outside the car at young trees sprinting and children playing—symbols
of youth, energy, and life—in contrast to her mother’s aging face.
At the airport, after the security
check, the poet looks at her mother again—pale and weak like a winter
moon, symbolizing decay and fragility. She feels the same fear of
separation that she had as a child.
However, instead of expressing her
pain, she smiles repeatedly and says, “See you soon, Amma”,
trying to hide her emotions and reassure her mother (and herself) with hope
instead of despair.
💡 Themes
- Aging and Mortality:
The poem highlights the inevitability of aging and death.
- Mother-Daughter Relationship: Deep emotional bond filled with tenderness and fear of
loss.
- Separation and Fear:
Reflects the universal fear of losing loved ones.
- Contrast of Life and Death: Youth (trees, children) vs. old age (the mother).
- Acceptance and Resilience: Poet hides pain behind smiles, symbolizing emotional
strength.
✍️
Poetic Devices and Figures of Speech
|
Device |
Example |
Explanation |
|
Simile |
“Her face ashen like that of a
corpse” |
Compares mother’s pale face to a
dead body |
|
Simile |
“As a late winter’s moon” |
Compares her pale face to the dim
winter moon |
|
Metaphor |
“Trees sprinting” |
The motion of car makes trees
appear to run—symbol of life |
|
Contrast |
Old mother vs. young children |
Shows difference between aging and
youth |
|
Repetition |
“Smile and smile and smile” |
Expresses emotional control and
effort to hide fear |
|
Imagery |
Visual images of children, trees,
pale face, moon |
Creates vivid pictures |
|
Symbolism |
Moon = old age, fading life;
Trees/children = youth, vitality |
ðŸ§
Analysis
- The poem is written in free verse—no rhyme or
meter—to express the natural flow of thought.
- It reflects confessional poetry, a style Kamala
Das is known for—deeply personal, emotional, and honest.
- The tone moves from sadness to acceptance.
- The smile at the end signifies an effort to hide
grief and confront reality with hope.
🧾
Important Vocabulary / Word Meanings
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Doze |
Sleep lightly |
|
Ashen |
Pale, like ashes |
|
Corpse |
Dead body |
|
Sprinting |
Running fast |
|
Wan |
Pale, weak |
|
Ache |
Pain or sorrow |
|
Familiar |
Well-known |
|
Pale as winter’s moon |
Weak, lifeless appearance |
|
Smile and smile and smile |
Repeated attempt to hide pain |
🪶
Critical Appreciation
“My Mother at Sixty-Six” is a tender
and moving poem capturing the pain of separation between mother and
daughter. Kamala Das expresses universal emotions—the fear of losing
one’s parents and the inevitability of aging. The poem’s simplicity, imagery,
and emotional depth make it one of her most touching works.
❓
Important Exam-Related Questions and Answers
Q1.
What is the central theme of the poem “My Mother at Sixty-Six”?
Ans: The poem deals with the poet’s fear of losing her aging
mother and the universal truth of mortality. It expresses love, anxiety, and
emotional struggle between acceptance and denial of death.
Q2.
Why has the mother been compared to the “late winter’s moon”?
Ans: The late winter’s moon is dim and pale, symbolizing fading
life and weakness. Similarly, the mother’s face looks pale and lifeless,
showing her old age and fragility.
Q3.
What do “young trees sprinting” and “merry children spilling out of their
homes” symbolize?
Ans: They symbolize life, energy, and youth—a contrast to
the stillness and decay of the aging mother.
Q4.
Why does the poet smile repeatedly at the end of the poem?
Ans: The poet smiles to hide her pain and reassure her
mother. The repeated smile reflects her emotional conflict—fear and
hope existing together.
Q5.
What kind of relationship does the poet share with her mother?
Ans: It is a deeply affectionate and emotional bond. The
poet loves her mother intensely and fears separation from her.
Q6.
What does “my childhood’s fear” refer to?
Ans: It refers to the poet’s fear of losing her mother—a
fear she had since childhood that returns now as her mother grows old.
Q7.
What is the significance of the poem’s title?
Ans: The title “My Mother at Sixty-Six” highlights the central
figure—the poet’s mother—who represents aging, mortality, and the poet’s
emotional response to it.
Q8.
Describe the contrasting imagery in the poem.
Ans: The lifeless image of the mother contrasts with vibrant
images of trees and children outside. This contrast enhances the theme of life
versus decay.
Q9.
What is the tone and mood of the poem?
Ans: The tone is emotional and reflective, while the mood
shifts from sorrow to acceptance and hope.
Q10.
How does Kamala Das use imagery to convey emotion?
Ans: Through visual images like “ashen face,” “trees sprinting,”
and “winter’s moon,” she vividly presents life, death, and emotion,
making the poem deeply relatable.
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