Class 12 English Chapter 1 - My Mother at Sixty-Six: Question and Answer (FREE PDF Download)
Class 12 students can access all the NCERT solutions for English Flamingo Poem 1, My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das. Poetry is a complex subject that requires in-depth analysis and thinking ability. Many students usually find it hard to crack the hidden meaning behind this English poem. Students can download the FREE PDF created by Vedantu's NCERT subject experts for a complete and comprehensive understanding of the chapter, which is put into simple and easy terms to understand while still retaining the theme, tone, and message of the poem.
Glance on NCERT Class 12 Chapter 1 - My Mother at Sixty-Six
The Class 12 English Flamingo textbook offers a wide array of poetry. These poems are often extracted from renowned and well-known authors and can sometimes be presented in language that might not be very easy to understand.
My Mother at Sixty-Six is a poem by Kamala Das that highlights the relationship and love between the author and her mother as she leaves her hometown.
She describes using various figures of speech, her mother’s dull and old look, almost as though she is a corpse.
While driving to the airport, she looks out the window to see trees and children playing. She is instantly reminded about her younger self and how her mother used to be young and beautiful.
Now, the author’s mother has grown quite old and will soon take her last breath as she grows older and older.
The poem highlights the circle of life, how people are born, followed by their adolescence and early years when they dream, and eventually grow old and die.
Access the NCERT Solutions to English Class 12 Chapter 1, My Mother at Sixty Six Questions and Answers here on Vedantu.
FAQs on NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 1 Poem: 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 another.
As she goes 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.
8. Where can I Download the FREE PDF for English Class 12 Chapter 1, My Mother at Sixty Six questions and answers?
You can access the FREE PDF Download for English Class 12 Chapter 1 at Vedantu. You can use this to study anywhere and anytime on the go.
9. Are the solutions to My Mother at Sixty Six Questions and Answers accurate?
These solutions are vetted and curated by top professionals in the field who hold years of experience in dealing with the NCERT Syllabus. This ensures the accuracy of these solutions. Rest assured, these solutions are the road to success in your examinations.