My Mother at Sixty Six
QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED
Q1. What is the kind of
pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: The
poet observes her mother’s pallid face and ashen face, bears resemblance to a
corpse. She realises, with pain, that her mother has grown old and is nearing
her death. Such thoughts make her to recollect her childhood fear and anxiety
of losing her mother which made the poet to feel insecure without her mother. The
idea of getting separated from her mother distresses her.
Q2. Why are the young
trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Ans: The poet is driving to
the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees seem to be walking
past them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or sprinting.
That's why the trees are described as sprinting.
Q3. Why has the poet
brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
Ans:
Ans: The 'merry children spilling out of their homes' are symbolic of
happiness, enthusiasm and playfulness. They are always full of energy and
youth. This image is a sharp contrast to that of her mother who is nearing her
death and has become old, inactive, weak and withered. In the poem, the poet
has shown contrasting images of life and death.
Q4. Why has the mother
been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
Ans: The
late winter’s moon looks hazy and obscure. It too lacks shine and strength. It
loses its brightness. The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken
‘ashen’ face resembles a corpse. Like the late winter’s moon, she has lost her
shine and strength of youth. She becomes wan and wrinkled.
Q5. What do the parting
words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans:
The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast
to the fear of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to
hide her real feelings. The parting words give an assurance to the old lady.
Similarly, her continuous smiles are an attempt to overcome the ache and fear
inside her heart.
6. What do the young
sprinting trees signify?
Ans:
The young sprinting trees symbolise happiness, strength and vigour which are
the characteristics of youth in contrast to the dullness of old age. These are
a symbol of new life and energy. The trees also symbolise the rapidly passing
years of human's life from childhood to old age. They signify the passage of time.
MORE
QUESTIONS SOLVED
1. What was the poet’s
childhood fear?
Ans: The child is always in fear of being separated from his parents. In the same way, the poet’s fear as a child was that of losing her mother or her company.
Q2. What does the poet’s
mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify her ageing
decay?
Ans:
The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. the poet’s mother looks like a
corpse. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing with her mouth open. This is
a sign of old age. Her face looked pale and faded like ash. Actually, she is an
image of death as her ‘ashen’ face looks like a late winter’s moon.
Q3. Describe the world
inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?
Ans:
The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her
dozing with mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the
car, the poet watches young trees speeding past them. Happy children are moving
out of their homes cheerfully. They present an image of life, dynamism and
activity.
Q4. Why does the poet
look outside? What does she see happening outside?
Ans:
The thought of the ageing mother at sixty-six and her pale and ashen face
looking like a corpse becomes too heavy for the poet to bear. She needs a
distraction, a diversion and therefore she looks outside. She watches young
trees which appear to be sprinting. Then she sees happy children moving out of
their houses and making merry.
Q5. What does the poet do
after the security check-up? What does she notice?
Ans:
They have to pass through a security check-up at the airport. After it, the
poet stands a few yards away. Before saying parting words to her mother, she
looks at her mother again. Her face looks pale and colourless like the late
winter’s moon. She presents a picture of ageing and decay.
Q6. How does Kamala Das
try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
Ans:
Kamala Das was in much trouble after seeing the lifeless and faded face of her
mother. The poetess turned away her attention from her mother by looking outside.
The outside world was full of life and activity. The young trees seemed to be
running fast. The children looked happy while moving out of their homes.
Q7. Why does the poet
smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother?
Ans:
The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother brings an image of decay and
death. It brings that old familiar fear of separation back. But she has to put
on a brave face. She regains self-control. She composes herself and tries to
look normal. She utters the words of assurance that they will meet again soon.
She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.
Q8. What poetic devices
have been used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Ans:
The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is rich in imagery. Kamala Das uses the
devices of comparison and contrast. The use of simile is very effective. The
face of the poet’s old mother is described as ‘ashen’. This ashen face is ‘like
that of a corpse’. The poet uses another simile. The “wan, pale’ face of the
mother is compared to ‘a late winter’s moon’.
Stanzas
Read the extract given
below and answer the questions that follow.
“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, , put that thought away,…
1. Name the poem and the
poet.
Ans: The
name of the poem is, ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ and the poet is Kamala Das.
2. Where was the poet
driving to?
Ans: The
poet was driving from her parents’ home to Cochin airport on a Friday morning.
3. What did she notice
about her mother?
Ans: The
poet noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open and the mother’s
face was the colour of ash, just like that of a dead body.
4. Why was her mother’s
face looking like that of a corpse?
Ans: Her
mother’s face had lost all its glow and colour of youth due to ageing. It
looked pale, faded and nearly lifeless. That was why it was looking like a
corpse’s face.
3. How did the poet's
mother look?
Ans: The
poet’s mother looked like a corpse and her face was looked ‘ashen’.
4. What did the poet
realise with pain?
Ans: She
realised that her mother had grown very old. So she won't live long.
5. What worried the poet
when she looked at her mother?
Ans: Her
mother looked pale and faded, just like a corpse, which worried the poet. This
indicated that her mother may die very soon.
6. Why was there pain in
her realisation?
Ans: The poet felt pain in the
realisation that she would not see her mother again, as she may die soon.
7. Why did she put that
thought away?
Ans: The
poet put that thought away because she felt pain inside her. As she was
driving, she got distracted.
8.What was the mother
doing beside the poet?
Ans:
The poet’s mother was dozing.
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,
1. How can the trees
sprint?
Ans: The
car was moving when the poet looked out so the trees appeared to be running in
the opposite direction. Thus, the trees have been described as ‘sprinting’.
2. Why did the poet look
at her mother again?
Ans: The
poet looked at her mother again because she was in thought of her mother and
she had to bid her goodbye. She has an insecurity of losing her mother.
3. What did she observe?
Ans: She
observed that her mother looked lifeless and dull like a late winter’s moon.
4. What thought did the
poet drive away from her mind?
Ans: The
poet realised that her mother had become very old and her mother was pale and
lifeless like a dead body which pained the poet. She drove this disturbing
thought away from her mind.
5. What did she see when
she looked out of the car?
Ans: The poet saw the trees
sprinting and also saw the children rushing out of their homes to play. Both
the trees and children were full of life in comparison to her mother, who was
pale and lifeless beside her.
6. What does the phrase
trees sprinting signify?
Ans: The
phrase ‘trees sprinting’ signifies time, which has passed at a fast pace.
I looked again at her,
wan, pale, as a late winter’s moon and felt that old, familiar ache, my childhood’s
fear, 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.
1. Who is ‘her?
Ans: ‘Her’
refers to the mother.
2. What was the poet’s childhood
fear?
Ans: The
childhood fear was that of losing her mother.
3. Who went for security
check and who is ‘her’ in the above lines?
Ans: The poet, Kamala Das, went for security check
at the airport. ‘Her’ in the above lines refers to the poet’s mother.
4. What does the poet
compare her mother’s face to and why?
Ans: The
poet compares her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon. Just as a ‘late
winter’s moon’ looks colourless and dull because of mist and fog, the poet’s
mother’s face looks pale and lacks brightness due to old age.
familiar ache, my
childhood’s fear, but all I said was see you soon, Amma,, all I did was smile
and smile and smile
1. What was the poets
child hood fear?
Ans: The
poet’s childhood fear was the insecurity about losing her mother. Looking at
her mother’s pale and dull face when leaving her, the poet was again gripped by
the same insecurity.
2. What were the poets
parting words? What do they signify?
Ans: The
poet’s parting words were, “See you soon, Amma”, suggesting hope to herself and
her mother that they will meet again. These words also show that she loved her
mother and didn't want to lose her.
3. Where is the poet
going and what does she think of her mother?
Ans:
The poet is going to Cochin airport. She observes that her mother is looking as
pale as death. She sadly thinks that her mother might not live long.
4. What did the poet do
after the security check?
Ans: The
poet looked at her mother again who was standing a few yards away and again fear
of losing her felt.
Words and meanings
sleep lightly=doze ashen= resembling
ashes, here pale/grey colour/without colour
dead body=corpse wan=colourless
felt=realize pale= light-coloured
or lacking in colour
running fast= sprinting ache= suffer
from a continuous dull pain
happy= merry old= having
lived for a long time/aged
moving out= spilling yards= a
unit of linear measure equal to 3 feet
2014
"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
1. What did the speaker
do after the security check?
Ans:
The poet looked at her mother again who was standing a few yards away and again
fear of losing her felt.
2. Why did the poet
compare her mother's face to a late winter's moon?
Ans: See
question number 4 and Page No 1
3. What was the poet's
childhood fear?
Ans: The
poet’s childhood fear was that of losing her mother or her company.
OR
"But soon put that thought away and looked out at
Young, Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling Out of their homes"
1. Who looked out at the
young trees?
Ans: The
poet looked out at the young trees.
2. Which thought did the
speaker put away?
The poet realised that
her mother had become very old and her mother was pale and lifeless like a dead
body which pained the poet as she is approaching death She put this disturbing
thought away from her mind.
3. What do young
sprinting trees signify?
Ans: See
question number 6 and Page No 1
4. What did the poet see
the children doing?
Ans: The
poet saw that the merry children were spilling out of their homes.
1. What is the kind of
pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: See
question number 1 and Page No 1
(ii) Explain the
statement : "I saw my mother . her face
ashen like that of a corpse".
Ans: The
poet saw her mother's face which was looking like that of a corpse because it
was pallid. The poet noticed her mother's pale and 'ashen' face, lost of all
vitality and colour, owing to her old age. Her mother’s face looked pale, faded
and lifeless like a dead body because she had grown old.
2015
1. Why has the mother
been compared to the 'late winter's
Ans: See question number 4 and
Page No 1
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..."
1. What was the childhood
fear that now troubled the poet?
Ans: The
poet’s childhood fear was that of losing her mother or her company now troubled
the poet.
2. What do the poet's
parting words suggest?
Ans: See
question number 5 and Page No 1
3. Why did the poet smile
and smile?
Ans: The
poet smiled and smiled to hide her pain that she was having inside her heart.
2016
1. Why has the poet
brought in the image of the merry children 'spilling out of their homes'?
Ans: See
question number 3 and Page No 1
2017
2. What do the young
sprinting trees signify?
Ans: See
question number 6 and Page No 1
2018
1. What are the 'merry
children spilling out of their homes' symbolic of ?
Ans: See
question number 3 and Page No 1
2019
1. What is the
significance of the parting words of the speaker and her smile in ‘My Mother at
Sixty-six’?
Ans: Ans: See
question number 5 and Page No 1
‘‘Driving from 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...”
1. Where was the speaker
driving to?
Ans: Already
answered.
2. What did she notice
when her mother sat beside her?
Ans: Already
answered.
3. Find two words from
the passage that mean ‘sleep lightly’ and ‘dead body’.
Ans: Already
answered.
4. Why was her mother’s
face like that of a corpse?
Ans: Because
the poet’s mother is at sixty six of years. She lost her brightness and looks
pale. She is ashen like that of corpse.
2020
1. What do the young
sprinting trees signify in the poem?
Ans: See
question no 6 and Page No 1
2. Why has the mother
been compared to the 'late winter's
moon' in the poem, "My Mother at Sixty-Six"?
Ans: See
question no 4 and Page No 1
2022
What is the significance
of the parting words of the speaker and her smile in 'My Mother at Sixty-Six?
Ans: See
question no 5 and Page No 1
2023
"But soon, put that
thought away and looked out at, Young, Trees sprinting, the merry children
spilling, Out of their homes"
Who looked out at the
young trees ?
Ans: Already
answered.
Which thought did the
speaker put away ?
Ans: Already
answered.
What do young sprinting
tree signify?
Ans: Already
answered.
What did the speaker see
the children doing ?
Ans: Already
answered.
What kind of images does
the poet use to signify her mother's ageing decay in the poem 'My Mother at
Sixty-Six'?
Ans: See
question no 2. (More question solved)
2024
1. What childhood fear
did Kamala Das refer to in her poem? How did she hide it?
Ans: The
poet childhood fear is that of losing her mother. She hid it by smiling
2. What do the parting
words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans: See
question number 6 and Page No 1
2025
but after the airport's….security check, standing a ew
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.............
"
What did the poet do after the security check?
Why did the poet compare her mother's face to a late
winter’s moon?
What is her childhood's fear?
Why are the Young Trees described as 'sprinting'?
Related chapters:
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