QUICK NOTES-POEM-MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX by Kamala Das

POEM 1 Here’s the quick notes for all of you for last minute revision…after revising the notes do attempt the Google form. LINK PROVIDED .GOOGLE FORMS PAGE JOIN MY TELEGRAM GROUP FOR LATEST RESOURCES/STUDY MATERIAL. TELEGRAM CHANNEL.

Poem: My Mother at Sixty-Six Name of the Poet: Kamala Das
● About the poem: Ageing is a natural process.The same is true about children’s
affection and concern for the elders. The theme of the poem is the human
relationship. The poetess is leaving for some distant destination. She drives along
with her mother to the airport. The elderly lady is not quite healthy though she is only
sixty -six. She looks sick and pale. The daughter has a nagging fear that her mother
would not live long enough to receive her on her next visit. She sees the young trees
and little children running merrily. This makes her all the more concerned about
failing health of her Amma. Nevertheless, she bids her goodbye at the airport with a
smile and hope to see her soon again.

Theme – Human Relationship
·

Word -notes :

1. Doze- a light sleep 2. Ashen – pale and gray like ash
2. Corpse- dead body 4. Sprinting – running fast
3. Spilling- moving out 6. Wan- colourless
4. Put that thought away–removed her thought away from her mother
   Figures of Speech/Poetic devices
5. Her face ashen like that of a corpse- Simile
6. Wan, pale as a late winter’s moon- Simile
7. Trees sprinting- Personification
8. The merry children spilling out of their home- Imagery
9. All I did was smile and smile and smile- Repetition
   
10. Very short answer type questions: (RTC Purpose)
11. Who is driving the car ?
    Ans. The poetess Kamala Das
12. From where to where does she drive
    car? Ans. Her parent’s home to Cochin
13. Who is sitting beside her in car ?
    Ans. Her mother
14. What does she notice about her mother
    ? Ans. Open mouth, face ashen, doze
15. What does she compare her mother to?
    Ans. Corpse
16. What does she look at outside the car?
    Ans. Young trees, merry children
17. What fear does she express or
    mention? Ans. Separation from or losing
    her mother.
18. What are the parting words?
    Ans. See you soon, Amma
19. Name the poem and the poet.
    Ans. My mother at Sixty-Six, Kamala Das
    
20. Short answer type questions:
21. What is the kind of pain and ache that she/the poet feels?
    Ans.The failing health of the mother and the separation from her for sometime while going
    abroad make the poet feel upset and sad. She is not sure to see her mother after coming
    back from the abroad
    .2. Why has the poet brought in the images of the trees sprinting and the merry children
    spilling out of their homes?
    Ans. She has brought the images of the trees sprinting and merry children to present
    contrast to her old and sickly mother. They represent life, power, action and energy.
22. Why has the mother been compared to the late winter’s moon?
    Ans. Winter is the last season of the year and old age is the last phase of the life. In the late
    winter’s night the moon-beams fail to reach us clearly due to fog or mist. It looks dull. The old
    mother is also wan and bloodless in her present state.
23. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify ?
    Ans. Her smile and her words of consolation are false or fake. She smiles to hide her pain
    and look brave to face the situation.