CSK - W - My - Mother - at - Sixty - Six 2

My Mother at Sixty-Six
1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar pain or the ache returns.
Perhaps she has entertained this fear since her childhood. Ageing is a natural process. Time and ageing spare
none. Time and ageing have not spared the poet’s mother and may not spare her as well. With this ageing,
separation and death become inevitable.
2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?

The poet is driving to the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees seem to be walking past
them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or sprinting. The poet presents a contrast—her
‘dozing’ old mother and the ‘sprinting’ young trees.
3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
The poet has brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ to present a contrast. The
merry children coming out of their homes in large numbers present an image of happiness and spontaneous
overflow of life. This image is in stark contrast to the ‘dozing’ old mother, whose ‘ashen’ face looks lifeless and
pale like a corpse. She is an image of ageing, decay and passivity. The contrast of the two images enhances the
poetic effect.
4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken ‘ashen’ face resembles a corpse. She has lost her shine
and strength of youth. Similarly, the late winter’s moon looks hazy and obscure. It too lacks shine and strength.
The comparison is quite natural and appropriate. The simile used here is apt as well as effective.
5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast to the old familiar ache or fear
of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide her real feelings. The parting words:
“See you soon, Amma” give an assurance to the old lady whose ‘ashen face’ looks like a corpse. Similarly, her
continuous smile is an attempt to overcome the ache and fear inside her heart.
6. What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and look outside?
The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless like a corpse. She provides
an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems to be lost in her thoughts. The poet needs a
distraction, a change. She puts that thought away and looks outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness
and activity.
7. Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?
The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her dozing with mouth wide open
suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the poet watches young trees speeding past them. They
seem to be running fast or sprinting. Happy children are moving out of their homes cheerfully. They present an
image of life, dynamism and activity.
8. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?

The poet’s mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon to bring out the similarity of ageing and
decay. The late winter moon looks hazy and obscure. It lacks shine and strength. The poet’s mother has an
‘ashen’ face resembling a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. The comparison reinforces the
impact.
9. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?

The poet is pained at the ageing and decaying of her mother. The fear is that with ageing comes decay and
death. The sight of her old mother’s ‘ashen’ and corpse-like face arouses “that old familiar ache” in her heart.
Her childhood fear returns. She is also pained and frightened by the idea that she may have to face all these
things herself.
10. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother?
OR
With fear and ache inside her heart, words of assurance on her lips and a smile on her face, the poet presents
two opposite and contrasting experiences. Why does the poet put on a smile?
The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother at sixty-six brings an image of decay and death. It brings that old
familiar fear of separation back. She fears the ultimate fate of human beings. But she has to put on a brave face.
She regains self-control. She composes herself and tries to look normal. She utters the words of assurance that
they will meet again soon. She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.
11. What were the poet’s feelings at the airport? How did she hide them?
The poet would become afraid when she did not find her mother with her. Her childhood’s fear now again,
came to surface when she reached the airport. But she only said, ‘See you soon, Amma.’ And the poet could do
nothing but smile and smile. The poet wants to convey the idea that the young ones do feel for their elders but
they couldn’t express their feelings.
12. Explain ‘pale as a late winter’s moon.’

This is an example of a simile. The poet has compared her mother’s face to a winter’s moon. Winter
symbolizes death and a waning moon symbolizes decay. Just like winter loses its magnificence and beauty
when covered with fog and mist, similarly the poet’s mother has lost her youth and vitality, and has become
inactive and withered.
13. The poet’s repeated smile seems out of the place in a way. In which way is that appropriate?
The poet had no reason to smile at the time of separation from her aged mother. She was deeply distressed
and pained to separate from her mother when she was so old. Yet, to make the mother feel ‘there is nothing to
worry,’ the poet attempted to be glad, cheerful and reassured her by her extended smile.
14. What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother’s old age?
Late winter’s moon. Her pale, bloodless and wrinkled face resembles that of a corpse. She has no vigour and
energy left in her. She looks wan and pale. The sprinting trees and merry children are happy and young. They
present a contrast to the mother’s pain and old age and the poet’s worry and fear. They symbolize youth, vigour
and spring, whereas the mother is old, decaying and frail.
15. Ageing is a natural process; have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from us?
Ageing is a natural process. When the person becomes old, he becomes weak, he needs support - both
emotional and physical. Thus, it becomes our duty to provide our old parents the love, emotional support and
respect they deserve. Our parents usually give us their best period of life to bring us up. Therefore, it becomes
our moral duty to reciprocate the same when they become old.
But unfortunately, due to rank materialism and nuclear family system the old people are treated as an
unnecessary commodity and a heavy burden. They are harassed and sometimes even beaten up. Many a time the
old people are sent to old age homes, where they lack emotional support which the family can provide. It is very
shameful for the younger generation. Our parents do not deserve such shabby treatment in their old age.

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My Mother at Sixty-Six

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

8. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?

9. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?

12. Explain ‘pale as a late winter’s moon.’

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