MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX
SUMMARY
Ageing is a natural process, and no one has control over it. As human beings, we are involved
in warm relationships with people much older than us – like that between our parents and us. As
much as we love our parents and wish for them to live forever with us, nature does not seem to
heed our wishes. Our parents do grow old and need help and care. It might be painful to see
them lose their youth with time. It is unfortunate, but it is just like sand slipping away from
between our fingers. We cannot hold on to it forever.
In the poem My Mother at Sixty-six, Kamala Das explores the loving relationship between a
mother and a daughter. Her mother is old, and she cannot bear the thought of losing her. The
poem describes feelings and emotions that surface within her as she rides to the airport with her
mother before departing to another place.
The poet describes her ride to Cochin from her parent’s house in the poem. Her mother, who
was sitting beside her, dozed in the car. The poet observed her closely and realised that her
mother had grown old. She did not exhibit any youthful nature – her mouth was open as she
was sleeping, and her face did not have the lively glow found in young people. The poet
described her face as ‘ashen’. It is indicative of a state after death – the end of life.
She found this thought troubling and looked out the window to distract herself. The world
outside presented a contrast to her recent thoughts and observations. She could see things that
represented the very vibrant spirit of life. There were several young trees outside the window on
the roadside. They seemed to sprint as the car drove on. The poet could see children run out of
their houses to play. Their happiness was an embodiment of energy and optimism, opposite to
what she felt when she looked at her mother.
At the airport, after the security check, the poet looked at her mother again. Her face looked
colourless and pale. She compared it to a late winter’s moon – hazy and dim. The poet could
relate this to a childhood fear she used to have – the fear of losing her mother. The situation
described here is a moment of parting, and leaving her mother alone at this age makes her sad
and helpless. She felt a pang of pain and fear here. She knew that her mother was approaching
her end. There was nothing she could do about it. She controlled her feelings and waved her
mother goodbye with a smile. The poet uses the repetition of the word ‘smile’ here to show how
hard she tried to contain her pain in front of her mother to give out a rather pleasant demeanour.
The poem ends on a note of sad acceptance of reality. The poet understands that no matter
how much she worries about her mother’s growing age and eventual demise, life goes on. It is
the way nature intends things to be in life.
Q1. What is the irony in the poem My Mother at Sixty-six?
The irony in the poem My Mother at Sixty-six is that the poet knows that her mother has grown
old, though she finds it hard to accept it.
Q2What are the poetic devices used in the poem My Mother at Sixty-six?
Similes have been used that compare the mother’s face to that of a corpse and a ‘late winter’s
moon’. Imagery is used to show life and activity in ‘Young Trees sprinting’ and ‘merry children
spilling’. Also, ‘Young Trees’ is personified in the poem. Repetition and alliteration can be seen
in the use of the word ‘smile’ in the last line of the poem.
Q3. Why is the mother’s face compared to a ‘late winter’s moon’?
The mother’s face has been compared to a ‘late winter’s moon’ to illustrate her old age. Just like
a later winter’s moon that is dim because of the fog, the poet’s mother’s face has lost the glow
of a young and lively person. It is used to show the effect of age on her – the loss of energy,
youth and beauty.
Q4. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans : When the poet looks at her mother’s face closely, she discovers that she has aged and
her end is near. The feeling of her mother being old, needing care and help pains the poet as
there is no one to look after her. She feels that her mother can die any moment and that then
she will lose her forever. Her childhood fear of losing her mother which was then timely but now,
will be forever, resurfaces. The poet feels the pain of her mother’s old age and her helplessness
towards her. She has the fear of separating from her mother forever, upon her death.
Q5. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Ans : The young trees have been personified. When looked at from the poet’s moving car, they
seem to be running past. The poet found it to be strikingly opposite to her mother who looked
as still as a dead body.
Q6. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their
homes’?
Ans : The poet draws a comparison between what is travelling with her and what she can see
outside. It’s a comparison between life and death. Her mother is sleeping, with mouth open, like
a dead body, while outside she can see children who are full of life, energy and enthusiasm.
Q7. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
Ans: Just as the late winter’s moon is dull and lacks luster, so is her mother at the end stage of
her life. Also, as the late winter moon gets overshadowed by the fog and mist in the sky similarly
her mother can get overshadowed by death at any time. Both of them are nearing an end- one
of season and the other of life.
Q8. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans : The parting words of the poet show her positive attitude. She overcomes her pain and
fear, assures herself and her mother that they would meet again. She is being very brave which
is indicated by the use of repetition in the poem:
“smile and smile and smile……”
Poetic Devices
1. Figure of Speech: Simile
a. Exact Line: “her face ashen like that of a corpse”
Reason: This line uses “like” to compare the mother’s pale, ashen face to that of a corpse, emphasizing
the pallor associated with aging and frailty. It creates a stark image of the mother’s current state,
contrasting with the vitality of life.
b. Exact Line: “wan, pale as a late winter’s moon”
Reason: The poet uses a simile to compare her mother’s pale face to a “late winter’s moon.” This
comparison emphasizes the paleness and suggests a sense of fading beauty, akin to the waning
phase of the moon in late winter.
.
2. Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “looked out at Young”
Reason: The repetition of “looked” underscores the poet’s shift in attention from her mother to the outside
world. It emphasizes the transition from introspection to observation.
Exact Line: “All I did was smile and smile and smile……”
Reason: The thrice-repeated word “smile” emphasizes the poet’s continuous effort to maintain a façade of
happiness and reassurance in front of her mother, despite her deep-seated fears and sadness
3. Figure of Speech: Metaphor
Exact Line: “Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes”
Reason: The poet uses metaphorical language to describe the trees and children, attributing human
actions to them. This metaphor enhances the contrast between the stillness of age and the energy of
youth.
4. Figure of Speech: Personification
Exact Line: “Trees sprinting”
Reason: The personification of trees as “sprinting” adds life and movement to the scene, contrasting with
the mother’s stillness and age.
5. Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “Security check, standing a few yards”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘s’ sound in “Security” and “standing” creates a soft alliteration, adding to the
stanza’s contemplative tone.
Exact Line: “But all I said was, see you soon, Amma,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘s’ sound in this line creates alliteration, adding a melodic quality to the words.
This alliteration underlines the tenderness and affection in the poet’s parting words to her mother.
6. Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “All I did was smile and smile and smile……”
Reason: There is a sense of irony in this line. The poet’s repeated smiling, an action typically associated
with happiness, contrasts sharply with her actual feelings of fear and sadness. This irony highlights the
disparity between the outward expression of joy and the internal experience of emotional pain,
underscoring the complex emotions involved in the poet’s interaction with her mother.
Central Idea of the Poem
On her way to the airport from her parents’ house as she is leaving for Cochin, the poet is
driving in her car with her mother beside her. When she chances upon her mother sleeping, she
notices how old her mother has grown for the first time. She is disturbed and turns her eyes away
to focus on young trees and younger children instead. Again after the security check at the
airport, she notices her mother’s aging face. This fills her with the fear she had experienced since
childhood – that of her mother dying. But she does not let that fear show on her face. She smiles
and bids her mother goodbye, promising to see her soon. Themes of the Poem Comparisons: The
poet compares her mother’s pale face with two things – the white face of a corpse, and the moon
on a winter night. The first comparison is made chiefly on the basis of the similarity of hue
between the two objects. When a person dies, blood stops being pumped out of the heart and
circulating through the brains. In the absence of the flow of blood, the body loses its healthy
glow and takes on an unnatural white pallor. When her mother is sleeping, the poet’s mother also
has reduced heart function. As a result the life-giving flow of blood is also reduced and her skin
appears paler than usual. After their arrival at the airport, he mother has woken up, but the
creases on her skin that have appeared due to aging are still there. These creases look like the
craters on the moon’s surface that disrupt its otherwise immaculate appearance. Hence they take
away some amount of the moon’s beauty, but certainly not all of it. Similarly, age does show on
her mother’s face, but it cannot really mar her beauty. Contrasts: When the poet notices how old
her mother has grown, she tries to focus her attention on other things. She ends up noticing only
those things that are not old. She notices the trees that her car is going past and they appear to be
moving at an equally fast pace by themselves. This leads the poet to feel that the trees must be
very young to be filled with such invigorating energy. She also notices children pouring out of
their houses excitedly. It is not possible that on an average day there are no adults out on the
street. However, the poet’s attention does not fall on adults, but only on children, who are just
starting out on their journey of life. Both these images serve as a contrast to her mother who is
almost at the end of that journey. Another instance of the poet using a contrast to express herself
clearly comes at the very end of the poem. The sorrow in her heart is in contrast with the smile
she has bravely put on her face as she says goodbye to her mother.
Tone of the Poem :
The tone of this poem is predominantly pensive and sorrowful.
