MY MOTHER AT SIXTY

SIX
BY KA

MEMBERS:-
PRITAM.P.JENA
AMAN DAS
SATYARANJAN
BEHERA
BISWARANJAN
MOHANTY
 ABOUT THE POET
Kamala Das (1934-2009) was born in Malabar, Kerala. She is
recognised as one of the foremost poets of India. Her works are
known for their originality, versatility and indigenous flavour of the
soil. She has published many novels and short stories. She wrote
under the pen name “Madhavi Kutty”.
Her subject – matter is basically related to her personality,
sensitivity, and anguish. External factors do not reflect in her
writings. Her writings bring out her true inner feelings.
In the poem ‘My mother at sixty six’, she talks about her mother.
This poem is based on the relationship between mother and
daughter and the she shares her feelings for her mother.
The theme of the poem is 'ageing' which is the law of nature. It also depicts the
helplessness and aspirations of the young generation. It portrays the different
stages of life and how everybody grows old and faces various situations that life
throws at them.
“ Driving from my parent’s

home to Cochin last Friday

morning, I saw my mother, beside me,

doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that

of a corpse and realized with pain that she was as old as she
looked but soon

put that thought away, and

looked out at Young

Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

out of their homes,

”
• The poet here explains that it was Friday and she
was driving back to the airport from her parent’s
house. She was with her mother and her mother fell
asleep in the car. While she was unconsciously
sleeping, the poet realises that her mother is growing
old and feels sad about it. She also compares her
mother with a corpse. Then she looks outside and
sees the young children playing and the trees
sprinting. She then realises that everything grows old
after a certain time. This realization scares her.
• She arrives at the air terminal to take her flight. It
shows takeoff and separation, which makes her
pitiful. As she bid farewell to her mother, the picture of
the old mother in the sunset of years strikes her. Here
once more, a metaphor is practically identical with her
mother with a late-night moon of the winters. The
moonlight is a hindrance by the haze and cloudiness
as she seems more seasoned at this point.
“ but after the airport’s

security check, standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon and felt that old

familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,

all I did was smile and smile and

smile......

”
• The poet is presently feeling the aggravation of getting separated due to leaving her
mother. Her youth dread of losing her caring mother presently turned out to be so
unnerving. Presently her mother could pass on of advanced age whenever
surprisingly. She is entirely miserable, to the point that she begins crying gradually
without control; however, keeping a fearless heart, she conceals her tears and starts
grinning. 
• She then continues to say that in the airport, she was at the security check and stood
far away from her mother. She noticed her mother’s ageing face which looked pale
and dull. At that time, the poet feels sad about being separated from her mother just as
she felt in her childhood. She feels that it may be the last time she is seeing her
mother as her mother has grown old. She still says that she will see her mother soon
as she doesn’t want to lose her.
• Accordingly, she offers her goodbye to her old mother and keeps her desire to see her
mother alive. She says, see you soon, Amma. She conceals her tears and distress as
she would rather not make a difficult and enthusiastic climate. Besides, she does not
need her mother to cry and shows her that she is partaking in her life. She anticipates
that her mother should be cheerful and partake in her life very much like her.
• Thus ends the summary of the poem My Mother At Sixty Six.
 LITERARY DEVICES

REPETITION SIMILIE CONSONANCE IMAGENARY PERSONIFICATION

Repetition is a figure of speech •A resemblance in •Part of the •Personification is a

literary device involving the sound between figurative poetic device
that involves comparison of one two words, or an language in a where animals,
intentionally thing with another initial rhyme can literary work, plants or even
using a word or thing of a different also refer to whereby the inanimate objects,
phrase for effect, kind using shared author uses vivid are given human
two or more times comparable consonants, images to qualities 
in a speech or words( like, as, whether in describe a
written work etc) sequence  phenomenon 
 REPETITION:
The word looked has been repeated.
The word smile has been used thrice: All I did was smile and smile and smile.

SIMILE:
The color of the poetess' mothers face has been compared to that of a corpse using like: her face
ashen like that of a corpse.
The poetess mothers face has been compared to the late winters moon using as: Pale as a late
winters moon.

CONSONANCE:
Prominent sound of 't': Put that thought away and looked out at young.
Prominent sound of 's': That she was old as she looked but soon.
Prominent sound of s: Security check, standing a few yards.

IMAGERY:
The description about children playing and sprinting trees is given: Tree sprinting, the merry
children spilling out of their home.

PERSONIFICATION:
The trees are said to be sprinting (running): Tree sprinting, the merry children spilling.
 VOCABULARY
• Doze: nap
• Ashen: pale
• Corpse: dead body
• Spilling: let out
• Wan: dim, weak
• Pale: dull, colourless