🌸 My Mother at Sixty-Six – Kamala Das

✅ Summary (English)

The poet Kamala Das describes a car journey with her ageing mother. When she glances at her mother sitting beside her, she notices that her mother’s face is pale, lifeless and “ashen like that of a corpse.” This makes her realise that her mother is growing old and may die soon. To distract herself from this painful thought, she looks outside the window at the lively young trees and happy children playing. These images represent life, energy, and hope.

At the airport, when the poet is about to leave, she looks at her mother again and sees the same old, weak face. She feels afraid of losing her mother, but she hides her fear behind a smile and says “See you soon, Amma,” even though she knows the future is uncertain. The poem shows the universal fear of losing our loved ones.

📝 Summary (Hindi)

कवयित्री कमला दास अपनी बूढ़ी होती माँ के साथ कार यात्रा का वर्णन करती हैं। वह अपनी माँ की ओर देखती हैं और पाती हैं कि माँ का चेहरा फक़, पीला और “शव जैसा” दिखाई दे रहा है। यह दृश्य उन्हें इस सच्चाई का अहसास कराता है कि उनकी माँ अब बूढ़ी हो चुकी है और कभी भी उनसे बिछड़ सकती है।

इस दुखद विचार से खुद को दूर करने के लिए कवयित्री कार की खिड़की से बाहर देखती हैं—जहाँ हरे-भरे पेड़ और खेलते हुए बच्चे जीवन, उत्साह और ऊर्जा के प्रतीक हैं।

एयरपोर्ट पर विदा लेते समय कवयित्री फिर से अपनी माँ का कमजोर चेहरा देखती हैं। उनके मन में खोने का भय है, लेकिन वह अपनी माँ के सामने मुस्कुराती हैं और कहती हैं—“जल्दी मिलते हैं, अम्मा।” वह अपने डर को मुस्कान के पीछे छुपा लेती हैं। कविता माँ-बेटी के प्रेम और बिछुड़ने के डर को व्यक्त करती है।

✨ Detailed Analysis (English)

Theme of Aging:
The poem explores the natural and painful process of growing old. The mother’s pale face symbolises decay and fragility.
Fear of Separation:
The poet experiences a deep emotional fear of losing her mother. This fear is universal and relatable.
Contrast Imagery:
- Mother → old, pale, like a corpse
- Trees and children → young, energetic
  This contrast highlights the difference between ageing and youth.
Poet’s helplessness:
She cannot stop time or prevent ageing. Her smile is an emotional shield.
Symbolism:
- Young trees and children represent hope, life, renewal.
- Mother’s face represents mortality.
Mood/Tone:
Tender, nostalgic, emotional, slightly melancholic.

🌿 Detailed Analysis (Hindi)

बूढ़े होने की थीम:
कविता में माँ के वृद्ध होने का दुख और उसकी स्वाभाविक प्रक्रिया को दर्शाया गया है। माँ का पीला चेहरा जीवन के क्षीण होने का प्रतीक है।
वियोग का डर:
कवयित्री को अपनी माँ को खो देने का गहरा भय है—जो हर इंसान महसूस करता है।
विरोधाभासी चित्रण:
- माँ → बूढ़ी, कमजोर
- पेड़-पौधे और बच्चे → युवा, जीवंत
  यह जीवन और मृत्यु के बीच अंतर को दर्शाता है।
कवयित्री की असहायता:
वह समय को रोक नहीं सकती। इसलिए मुस्कान के पीछे अपने दुःख को छिपाती है।
प्रतीकवाद:
- पेड़ और बच्चे = नवजीवन
- माँ का चेहरा = मृत्यु का संकेत/वृद्धावस्था
कविता का भाव:
कोमल, भावुक, nostalgic, वेदना से भरा हुआ।

⭐ Key Points for Exam

Poet → Kamala Das (Also known as Kamala Surayya)
Theme → Aging, Fear of Separation, Mother-daughter bond
Imagery → Ashen face, young trees, merry children
Tone → Emotional, nostalgic, tender
Devices → Simile (“like a corpse”), personification, contrast imagery
Setting → Car journey & Airport departure
Ending → Poet hides her fear with a smile.

🎯 Central Idea (English)

The poem reveals the poet’s deep love and concern for her mother. It expresses the universal fear of losing a loved one and the painful realisation that ageing and death are inevitable. Through the contrast between youth and old age, Kamala Das shows the emotional struggle of accepting this hard truth.

🎯 Central Idea (Hindi)

कविता का मुख्य विचार यह है कि बूढ़ी होती माँ को देखकर कवयित्री के मन में बिछुड़ने का भय उत्पन्न होता है। वह जानती है कि मृत्यु और वृद्धावस्था जीवन का अटल सत्य है। कविता माँ-बेटी के अटूट प्रेम और जीवन–मृत्यु के संघर्ष को मार्मिक ढंग से प्रस्तुत करती है।

✅ 20 MCQs on “My Mother at Sixty-Six”

1. Who is the poet of “My Mother at Sixty-Six”?

a) Sylvia Plath
b) Kamala Das
c) Adrienne Rich
d) Emily Dickinson
Answer: b) Kamala Das

2. How old is the poet’s mother in the poem?

a) Fifty
b) Sixty
c) Sixty-six
d) Seventy
Answer: c) Sixty-six

3. The poet compares her mother’s face to which of the following?

a) A blooming flower
b) A setting sun
c) A corpse
d) A young child
Answer: c) A corpse

4. What emotion does the poet feel when she sees her mother sleeping with her mouth open?

a) Joy
b) Anger
c) Fear and pain
d) Excitement
Answer: c) Fear and pain

5. What does the poet see outside the car window?

a) Snow-covered mountains
b) Young trees sprinting and merry children
c) A crowded market
d) Houses and roads
Answer: b) Young trees sprinting and merry children

6. What do the “young trees sprinting” symbolize?

a) Change
b) Energy and life
c) Growth of plants
d) Speed of the car
Answer: b) Energy and life

7. Why does the poet look outside the window?

a) She finds the scenery beautiful
b) She wants to avoid looking at her mother
c) She is bored
d) She wants to feel fresh air
Answer: b) She wants to avoid looking at her mother

8. Where is the poet going?

a) To school
b) To hospital
c) To the airport to catch a flight
d) To a market
Answer: c) To the airport to catch a flight

9. What fear haunts the poet?

a) Fear of flying
b) Fear of meeting strangers
c) Fear of losing her mother
d) Fear of traffic
Answer: c) Fear of losing her mother

10. What does the poet hide behind her smile?

a) Happiness
b) Excitement
c) Her childhood memories
d) Her pain and fear
Answer: d) Her pain and fear

11. What were the children doing outside the window?

a) Studying
b) Sleeping
c) Spilling out of their homes
d) Playing
Answer: d) Playing

12. What literary device is used in “face ashen like that of a corpse”?

a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Alliteration
Answer: b) Simile

13. The poem shows the contrast between—

a) City and village
b) Past and present
c) Childhood and adulthood
d) Ageing and youth
Answer: d) Ageing and youth

14. The poet’s mother’s “ashen face” symbolizes—

a) Sickness
b) Death and old age
c) Beauty
d) Anger
Answer: b) Death and old age

15. The poem ends with the poet saying—

a) Goodbye forever
b) See you soon, Amma
c) I will miss you
d) I love you
Answer: b) See you soon, Amma

16. What is the tone of the poem?

a) Joyful and humorous
b) Angry and aggressive
c) Emotional and melancholic
d) Scientific
Answer: c) Emotional and melancholic

17. When did the poet realise her mother was aging?

a) When she was cooking
b) When she saw her sleeping in the car
c) While watching TV
d) When her mother called her
Answer: b) When she saw her sleeping in the car