My Mother At sixty six
1) Why has the mother been compared to the 'late
winter's moon'?
Ans: In order to highlight her mother's a paleness and
shrinking vitality as she ages, the poet compares her
face to a late winter moon. The lines of aging are
reflected in her mother's face, just as they are in the
late winter moon.
2) Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry
children 'spilling out of their homes'?
Ans:The poet uses the picture of energetic
children'spilling out of their house' to contrast their
youthful vitality with the mother's deteriorating
health. This contrast emphasizes the vitality of youth
against the backdrop of aging and fading existence.
3) What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet
feels?
Ans:The poet experiences great innermost grief and
ache after watching the gradual decline of a once-
vibrant mother. This grief gets worse by the sharp
contrast between her mother's deteriorating health
and the surrounding youthful elation
4) Explain the statement: "I saw my mother..... her face
ashen like that of a corpse".
Ans:The poet's drive to the airport with her mother
depicts a sad decline of her mother's vitality and
enthusiasm. Her mother's formerly strong and active
, presence has faded, exposing the natural march to
the end of her life. The mother's impending loss is
sharply shown when she falls asleep with her mouth
open, resembling a corpse. This imagery emphasizes
the author's acute awareness of her mother's
weakness and the potential of her death, providing a
profound sense of grief and thought on the temporary
nature of life.
5) What does the poet's parting words signify?
Ans:Despite the poet's certainty that her mother could
die at any time after her departure, she exercised the
hope of seeing her again. As a result of this, she moved
with the hope that her mother would still be alive
when she returned.
6)How did Kamala Das put away the thought of her
mother's old age?
Ans:Kamala Das distracted herself from thoughts of
her mother's old age by focusing onthe fleeting
beauty outside the car window, such as young trees
running and merry children over flowing out of their
houses. This incident briefly distracted her from her
mother's aging.
7) Why does the poet smile and smile?
Ans:The poet, in "My Mother at Sixty-Six," hides her
anxiety and anguish about her mother's aging and
approaching death behind a smile. She hides her
genuine pain and helplessness behind an artificial
smile that offers consolation and certainty.
8) What do the parting words of the poet and her
smile signify?
1) Why has the mother been compared to the 'late
winter's moon'?
Ans: In order to highlight her mother's a paleness and
shrinking vitality as she ages, the poet compares her
face to a late winter moon. The lines of aging are
reflected in her mother's face, just as they are in the
late winter moon.
2) Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry
children 'spilling out of their homes'?
Ans:The poet uses the picture of energetic
children'spilling out of their house' to contrast their
youthful vitality with the mother's deteriorating
health. This contrast emphasizes the vitality of youth
against the backdrop of aging and fading existence.
3) What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet
feels?
Ans:The poet experiences great innermost grief and
ache after watching the gradual decline of a once-
vibrant mother. This grief gets worse by the sharp
contrast between her mother's deteriorating health
and the surrounding youthful elation
4) Explain the statement: "I saw my mother..... her face
ashen like that of a corpse".
Ans:The poet's drive to the airport with her mother
depicts a sad decline of her mother's vitality and
enthusiasm. Her mother's formerly strong and active
, presence has faded, exposing the natural march to
the end of her life. The mother's impending loss is
sharply shown when she falls asleep with her mouth
open, resembling a corpse. This imagery emphasizes
the author's acute awareness of her mother's
weakness and the potential of her death, providing a
profound sense of grief and thought on the temporary
nature of life.
5) What does the poet's parting words signify?
Ans:Despite the poet's certainty that her mother could
die at any time after her departure, she exercised the
hope of seeing her again. As a result of this, she moved
with the hope that her mother would still be alive
when she returned.
6)How did Kamala Das put away the thought of her
mother's old age?
Ans:Kamala Das distracted herself from thoughts of
her mother's old age by focusing onthe fleeting
beauty outside the car window, such as young trees
running and merry children over flowing out of their
houses. This incident briefly distracted her from her
mother's aging.
7) Why does the poet smile and smile?
Ans:The poet, in "My Mother at Sixty-Six," hides her
anxiety and anguish about her mother's aging and
approaching death behind a smile. She hides her
genuine pain and helplessness behind an artificial
smile that offers consolation and certainty.
8) What do the parting words of the poet and her
smile signify?
