My Mother at Sixty-Six

Theme: Advancing Age, The Fear of loss and separation

Main Points:
1. The mother was travelling along with her daughter in a car to Cochin Airport.
2. She compares the ashen face of her mother to a dead body. She suddenly realizes that her
mother has grown old and will finally die leaving her behind.
3. The thought is painful to her so to divert her mind she looks out of the window of the car.
4. She sees the young trees running and the happy children coming out of their homes- They
are representatives of youth, energy life and contrast with the pale, worn-out face of her
mother who is sleeping beside her in the car.
5. The dull face of the mother reminds her of the late winter’s moon and troubles her once
again as she thinks of losing her mother.
6. At last, she says goodbye to her mother without disclosing her feelings and her fear of
separation.

Figures of Speech

1. Simile: The colour of the poetess' mothers face has been compared to that of a corpse using like:
her face ashen like that of a corpse.
2. Simile: The poetess mothers face has been compared to the late winters moon using as: Pale as a
late winters moon.
3. Imagery: The description about children playing and sprinting trees is given: Tree sprinting, the
merry children spilling out of their home.
4. Personification: The trees are said to be sprinting (running): Tree sprinting, the merry children
spilling.
5. Contrast: The difference between poetess mother and the children is shown by using the word old
and young.
6. Symbolism: Winters moon is a symbol of decay.
7. Repetition: The word smile has been used thrice: All I did was smile and smile and smile.

Mood of the poet

It is very difficult for the poet to accept that her mother is old and is inching closer to death.
Sitting next to the mother, she notices her corpse like ashen face which disturbs the poet; she is
both sad and anxious. Like any other child, she is afraid and insecure at the thought of losing her
mother. Thus the poet portrays an agonizing experience.

Important expressions:

“Spilling out of their homes”- the children signify the youth, the energy, and the
excitement and cheerfulness of young age which is in complete contrast to the poet's old
and feeble mother.
“Late Winter’s moon”: the winter moon that had lost its luminosity and was waning is used as a
simile to compare the mother’s old and pale countenance.

“Familiar ache”: Like any other child, the poet too, as a child, harboured the fear of losing her
mother. She refers to this as a “familiar ache” which she feels again at that point.