What is the significance of my mother at sixty six?

What is the significance of my mother at sixty six?

The poem my mother at sixty six is one of the finest examples of the human bonding, especially that of a mother and daughter. It describes the pain and fear of the poet – of losing her mother due to harsh reality of life which is death.

How is the mother described in the poem my mother at sixty six?

The poet describes her mother as old and pale. As she dozed off beside her, the mother looked almost like a corpse, for her face was colourless and seemed to have lost the fervour of life.

How do the last lines of my mother at 66 stand in contrast to the emotional state of the poet?

Answer: The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smile provide a stark contrast to the old familiar fear of childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide her real feelings. She is trying to hide her fear about her mother’s frail and deteriorating health which might separate her from her mother.

How is the mother described in the poem?

How does the poet describe her mother in the poem? Ans. The poet describes her mother as an old lady who has become pale, weak and worn out. She often dozes and remains unconscious about herself like a dead body.

Why was poet’s mother dozing with her mouth open?

Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing with her mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Usually old people keep their mouth open to overcome breathing problems.

What are the figure of speech in my mother at sixty six?

In this poem, the poet uses the device of metaphor in line when she speaks ‘Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes’ to show the contrary image of her mother’s age and approaching end. REPETITION: This rhetorical device is used when a word or phrase is repeated.

What is the theme of my mother at 66?

About the Poet: Kamala Das is a sensitive writer who captures the complexities of human relationships in her poems. The theme of the poem: Fear of loss or separation from the old aging mother. It talks about the anguish of the daughter over her mother’s advancing age and the fear of permanent separation from her.

What is the distinctive feature of the poem my mother at 66?

My Mother at Sixty-six is based on the theme of advancing age and the fear of loss and separation associated with it. The poetess undergoes a plethora of emotions when she sees her mother ageing, and feels the pangs of separation at the thought of losing her.

Why does the poet look at her mother again?

The poetess looked at her mother again because the security check at the airport had been done and it was time for her mother to leave. So, she wanted to take a last look at her mother’s face, for she knew that this was probably the last time she was seeing her alive.

Why was her mother’s face like that of a corpse?

Her mother’s face looked pale, faded and lifeless like a dead body because she had grown old.

Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother?

The poet could do or say nothing much but smiled at her mother because she her mind was filled with thoughts and fear that she might not be able to see her mother alive the next time she visits the city. Her pain was reflected in her smile which was plain and devoid of real happiness.

What is the irony in my mother at sixty six?

The poet is deeply melancholic about her mother but she tried to divert her attention towards the beauty of the world but to no avail. The irony is that we come closer only to depart and we act like we do not know about it.

What is the style of the poem my mother at 66?

Kamala Das’s poetry is most often identified as confessional poetry. “My Mother at Sixty Six” can also be identified as such. She is as open and uninhibited in this poem as she is in her other famous confessional poems, such as “An introduction.”

What is the main idea of the poem?

The central idea of a poem is the poem’s theme or ‘what it’s about’ if you like. Although many shy away from poems being ‘about’ something, at the end of the day, the poet had something in mind when it was written, and that something is the central idea, whatever it is or might have been.

What is distinctive feature of the poem?

The elements of poetry include meter, rhyme, form, sound, and rhythm (timing). Different poets use these elements in many different ways. Some poets do not use rhyme at all. Some use couplets, while others may rhyme the second and fourth lines only…in a stanza.

What would happen if the poet didn’t see her mother again?

Answer : The poet felt pain in the realisation as she may not see her mother again.

What does her smile signify?

Her smiles signify her helplessness at the face of her mother’s inevitable death. They express her love and concern for her mother along with the underlying pain and struggle that she undergoes in coming to terms with this bitter realisation.

Why did the poet compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon?

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

What does the poet 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.

Why does the poet keep on smiling as she looks back at her mother?

Answer: The poet smiles as she bids farewell to her mother and assures her that they would meet again. As she looks at her mother, who looks pale and weak due to old age, her heart is pained to think that her mother might not live long. The repetition of the word ‘smile’ shows that it is a long and cheerful one.