About the Poet
Kamala Das (31 March 1934 - 31 May 2009) was born in Malabar, Kerala, and was one of India's most prominent poets who wrote in English as well as in her mother tongue Malayalam. She is popularly known by her one-time pen name 'Madhavikutty'. She wrote chiefly of love, betrayal, and the consequent suffering and pain and is essentially known for her striking and frank expressions and the choice of topics she wrote about. She was a versatile writer who wrote on topics including women's sexuality and desires, child care, and politics. Noted for her poetry, novel, short story, and memoirs, she was also a widely read columnist. Das was honoured with the title "The Mother of Modern English Indian Poetry" by The Times. Her notable works include an autobiography 'My Story, the Novel Alphabet of Lust', short stories 'Padmavati the Harlot and other stories' and 'A Doll for the Child Prostitute', and Poetry 'The Descendents' among many others. Pakshiyude Manam and Thanuppu are her prominent works in Malayalam.
In the poem "My Mother at Sixty-six" Kamala Das explores the mother-daughter relationship including the themes of ageing, growing up, separation and love.
Word-meaning
- Doze: short sleep, nap
- Ashen: without colour, pale grey colour
- Corpse: dead body
- Sprinting: running, a fast race over a short distance
- Spilling: come out in large numbers, moving
- Wan: colourless
- Pale: having less colour than usual, light in colour
- Ache: a continuous dull pain
Summary of My Mother at Sixty-six
The poet was driving from her parent's house to Cochin airport on a Friday morning. She came to visit her parents and was now returning back. Her Sixty-six-year-old mother was accompanying her to the airport to see her off. While driving, the poet looked at her mother sitting next to her and sleeping with her mouth open. Her face appeared to be colourless of a dead body. Seeing her mother's lifeless face, the poet realized her advancing age and felt the pain of separation. To escape this painful thought, she looked out of her car's window and saw trees which appeared to be running since she was in a moving car. She also saw children happily coming out of their homes. They reached the airport and after the security check, she looked at her mother again who was standing a few yards away. Her face again appeared to be colourless and pale as a late winter's moon isn't clearly visible due to fog and mist. Poet felt her old pain, losing her mother was her childhood fear. She bid farewell giving her mother and herself the hope that they would meet again. Hiding her pain from her mother, all she did was smile.
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Explanation 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"
Explanation: The poet had gone to her hometown to visit her parents and was now returning. She was driving from her parent's home to the airport in Cochin on a Friday morning. She was accompanied to the airport by her Sixty-six-year-old mother who came to bid her farewell. As the poet was driving she looked at her mother sitting next to her who was sleeping with her mouth open. Her face was the colour of ash, it was pale grey just like that of a dead body.
"And realized 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"
Explanation: Seeing the lifeless face of her mother, the poet had the painful realization of her feebleness and destroying health owing to her advancing age. She realizes that her mother may not live for a very long time and experiences the pain and fear of separation from her mother. In order to divert her mind from this agonizing realization, she looked out of the car's window at the outside world. She saw tall trees which appeared to be running in the opposite direction seen from the moving car. She also saw children happily running out of their homes to play. The scene outside completely contrasts with the scene inside the car experienced by the poet. The trees sprinting represent how fast time had gone by and the merry children signify youth and energy while her mother is old and weak.
"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"
Explanation: They reached the airport and after the airport's security check the poet looked at her mother who was standing a few yards away. Her face again appeared to be colourless and pale like a late winter's moon which has almost no shine to it and isn't clearly visible because of fog and mist.
"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: Looking at her mother, she felt prolonged pain and experienced her childhood fear of separation. She also realized that she may not see her mother again. Hiding her pain and with the hope that they would meet again she bid farewell to her mother. Despite the pain, she was experiencing at that moment, she smiled and kept on smiling since she didn't want her mother to experience the same agony that she herself was going through.
Poetic Devices in My Mother at Sixty-six
Alliteration-
- my mother
- all I said was, see you soon
Metaphor-
- "face ashen"
- "Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling"
Simile-
- her face ashen like that of a corpse
- she was as old as she looked
- wan, pale as a late winter's moon
Imagery-
- "Young Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes"
Personification-
- "Young Trees Sprinting"
Chremamorphism-
- "Merry children spilling"
Tautology-
- at her, wan, pale as a late winter's moon
Repetition-
- all I did was smile and smile and smile
Rhyme Scheme of the Poem
The poem does not have a regular rhythm to it and is not divided into stanzas. It is written in free verse and follows the rhythm of natural speech.
The whole poem is in a single sentence, punctuated by commas.
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Theme
For those who get to live long enough, ageing is something that is certain to happen. Time and ageing spare none. Death is the ultimate truth of life and is inevitable. In a way, we live to die. The poem revolves around the theme of advancing age and the fear of loss and separation. The poet fears losing her mother to death. Losing someone you love is one of the greatest pain that one has to endure. A mother's place in a child's life is irreplaceable. Seeing the lifeless face of her mother she realizes with agony that the mother may not live for a very long time.
NCERT Solutions
Think it out
Question 1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Answer. Looking at the wan and lifeless face of her mother, the poet realizes that owing to advancing age and deteriorating health, the mother may not live for too long. Upon this realization, she experiences pain as she fears losing her mother to death.
Question 2. Why are the young trees described as 'sprinting'?
Answer. In an attempt to divert her mind from the painful thought that her mother might die at any time, the poet looked out of the car's window. She saw trees at the side of the road which was stationary but appeared to be 'sprinting' or running in the opposite direction when seen by the poet from the moving car.
Trees 'sprinting' represent how fast time has gone by.
Question 3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children 'spilling out of their homes?
Answer. When the poet looked out of the car's window, she also saw a group of children joyfully rushing out of their homes to play. The imagery of the merry children 'spilling out of their homes has been brought by the poet as the children signify the youth, the energy, and the excitement and cheerfulness of young age which is in complete contrast to the poet's old and feeble mother. The poet makes use of these images to emphasize the difference between youth and old age.
Question 4. Why has the mother been compared to the 'late winter's moon'?
Answer. The 'late winter's moon' lacks the glow, is dull and is not clearly visible due to fog and mist enveloping it. It appears to be gloomy and signifies a near end of life. The poet's mother has been compared to the 'late winter's moon' since she similarly, owing to her advancing age and ill health has no radiance on her face, lacks strength and is nearing death.
Question 5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer. The parting words of the poet and her smile exuded hope and desire that they would meet again. She bid farewell to her mother with a smile on her face which was in complete contrast with the agony and fear she was experiencing internally. In spite of the pain and the heartache, she kept on smiling in an attempt to hide her anguish from her mother.
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