"My Mother at Sixty-Six" by Kamala Das
Summary:
The poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six" by Kamala Das is a
deeply emotional and reflective piece that captures the
poet's fear of losing her aging mother.
As the poet is traveling to the airport, she notices her
mother’s pale and weak face, which reminds her of a corpse,
symbolizing old age and approaching death. This sight fills her
with a familiar childhood fear of separation. To distract
herself from these thoughts, she looks outside the car
window and observes the lively trees and children playing,
which contrast sharply with her mother’s fragility,
emphasizing the cycle of life and aging.
At the airport, as she bids farewell, she looks at her mother
again, comparing her to a “late winter’s moon”, which
symbolizes fading life and dullness. Though filled with
sadness, she tries to mask her emotions with a smile,
repeatedly saying "smile and smile and smile", showing her
attempt to stay strong despite her inner pain.
The poem explores themes of aging, loss, separation, and
the inevitability of death, making it deeply personal yet
universally relatable.
Poetic Devices:
1. Simile – A direct comparison using like or as.
o “as a late winter’s moon” → The poet compares her
mother's pale, aging face to a winter moon,
symbolizing fragility and fading life.
2. Imagery – The poet uses vivid descriptions to create
mental images.
o “pale as a late winter’s moon” → Visual imagery of
aging and weakness.
o “trees sprinting, the merry children spilling” →
Contrasting images of life and movement against
stillness and old age.
3. Personification – Giving human qualities to non-human
things.
o “trees sprinting” → The trees appear to move
quickly as seen from the moving car, emphasizing
the contrast between youth and old age.
4. Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words.
o “My mother…,” “I looked again…” → Creates
rhythm and flow.
o “smile and smile and smile” → The repetition of the
's' sound adds emphasis to the poet’s effort to hide
her sorrow.
5. Contrast – The poem contrasts youth and old age.
o “merry children spilling out of their homes” vs.
“ashen like that of a corpse” → Shows the vibrancy
of life against the stillness of aging.
6. Repetition – Certain words are repeated for emphasis.
o “smile and smile and smile” → Repeats to show the
poet’s attempt to mask her pain.
7. Symbolism – Objects and images representing deeper
meanings.
o “late winter’s moon” → Symbolizes old age,
dimming vitality, and approaching end.
o “children spilling out” → Represents the energy and
liveliness of youth.
Tones:
1. Nostalgic – The poet reminisces about her mother’s
youthful days while confronting her present frailty.
• "I looked at her, wan, pale / as a late winter’s moon"
2. Melancholic/Sorrowful – There is a deep sadness as the
poet realizes the inevitability of aging and death.
• "ashen like that of a corpse"
3. Fearful/Apprehensive – The poet is afraid of losing her
mother, hinting at the universal fear of separation and
mortality.
• "old / familiar ache, my childhood's fear"
4. Contrastive (Between Hope and Despair) – The poem
juxtaposes youth and age, liveliness and stillness.
• "merry children spilling out of their homes" vs. "dozing,
open-mouthed" mother
5. Resigned/Acceptance – Though the poet is sad, she
knows she cannot change the reality of life.
• "smile and smile and smile" (a forced attempt to hide
sorrow and accept fate)
