MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX 

             

          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...... 

- KAMALA DAS 

Think it out

1.What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?

Answer: The poet feels a deep emotional pain and ache as she witnesses her mother aging. She realizes that her mother is growing older, and the sight of her dozing, with her frail, ashen face and pale appearance, evokes a sense of loss and helplessness. The poet’s pain is not just physical but emotional, reflecting the inevitability of aging and the fear of losing her mother.

2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

Answer: The young trees are described as "sprinting" to emphasize their vitality, energy, and youth. The use of the word "sprinting" creates an image of motion and life, highlighting the contrast between the vibrant, youthful trees and the aging mother. It symbolizes the vigor of youth compared to the weariness of age.

3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?

Answer: The image of the merry children "spilling out of their homes" adds to the contrast between youth and old age. The children represent life, energy, and joy, while the poet is reminded of her mother’s frailty and aging. This contrast deepens the poet’s sense of nostalgia, loss, and the passage of time, as the children’s happiness and liveliness are juxtaposed with the poet’s concern for her mother’s declining health.

4. Why has the mother been compared to the late winter’s moon’?

Answer: The mother is compared to the late winter's moon because of her pale, wan appearance, which suggests fragility and the dimming of life. Just as the moon during late winter seems weak and pale, the mother’s aging and physical decline make her appear similarly fragile and tired, reflecting the natural cycle of life.

5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

Answer: The poet’s parting words, "See you soon, Amma," and her smile signify an attempt to hide her true emotions and put on a brave front for her mother. The smile and the casual farewell mask the poet's inner sadness, fear, and emotional turmoil. It shows the poet's desire to maintain normalcy and not burden her mother with the overwhelming feelings of impending loss.