Class 12 English NCERT Solutions Chapter-1 Poem - My Mother at Sixty-six - Free PDF Download
FAQs on NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 1 - My Mother At Sixty-Six
1. What kind of pain was the poet feeling while departing?
When the poet was leaving home, seeing her mother's pallid face filled her with a lot of pain. According to the poet, the 'ashen' face of her mother. It was similar to a corpse in the poet's view that makes it painful for her. Thus, she realises that her mother grew old and is getting near to death. Further, such painful thoughts make her remember the fear and the grief she felt of not having her mother around in childhood. Her smile also was a sign of how powerless she was to handle the inevitable reality. All these views increased her sadness of going away from her mother.
2. Describe the comparison made between the mother's face and 'the Late Winter's Moon'.
In the poem, the poet compared her mother's face with the late winter's moon as her face was losing its radiance. Here, the mother is seen as the late winter's moon because the moon turns dim, dull, and gloomy during this time of the year. Similarly, the mother's face is looking withered. The pale face of the mother signifies the ebbing of life, according to the poet. Hence, the moon actually is giving an impression of the nearing end.
3. Please elaborate on the main theme of the poem, My Mother at Sixty Six.
My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das is a sentimental piece of poetry written in a single sentence. Depicting her love, the attachment, along with the pain of separation from her ageing mother, the poem beautifully paints her emotions using powerful imagery and metaphors. My Mother at Sixty Six is the best possible elaboration of the bond between a mother and her daughter. A better elaboration could be obtained on the Vedantu website as well as Vedantu mobile app. These resources provided by Vedantu are free of cost.
4. What is the significance of the poet’s parting words to her mother?
Kamala Das' parting words to her mother in the poem My Mother at Sixty Six, signify assurance. Her smile provides readers with a strong contrast with the fear she found familiar in her childhood. Her wordings and gestures are an intentional effort to conceal her true feelings. In reality, she is desperately trying to get over her fear regarding her mother’s fragile health going downhill, which may even up separating them from one another.
5. Explain the contrast in the image of merry children in the poem My Mother at Sixty Six?
The idea of merry children in the poem My Mother at Sixty Six is actually a symbol for the youth of life, the energy, vibrance and jolly outlook. This image is the direct opposite of the frail and ageing description of the poet's mother. At the same time, it is also important to understand the path of growing old, a phenomenon usually related to decay. There is a spontaneous flow of life as shown by the children, much in contrast to the passive life of the poet's mother.
6. What helped Kamala Das put away the thought of her mother’s old age?
The poet looked out through the window of the car in order to temporarily let go of the pain and sorrow she experienced just by looking at the greying face of her ageing mother. Outside, the world was overflowing with life and hustle. The image of young trees sprinting and frolicking children running out of the houses to play diverted her mind from the saddening thoughts of separation from her mother.
7. What are the poet's childhood fears? How do they resurface as she goes to the airport?
Every child fears losing their parents and suffers insecurity. Similarly, perhaps the poet Kamala Das also had the fear of losing her mother suddenly or getting separated from her in some way or other.
As she is going to the airport, Das realises that her mother has gotten old, her healthy face has turned grey and the poet’s childhood fear of separation and loss surfaces again.