Index

01

My Mother At Sixty 02

Six 03
-Kamala Das
Summed up by Maanya Soni, XI A1 04

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 Index

Index
01
01 02 03
Theme Summary Phrases of 02
of the of the the poem
poem topic explained
03
04 05
Literary Message of 04
Devices the poem

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 Index

01 01

Theme 02
The theme of the poem, the idea
used by the poet and the expression
of her thoughts
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04

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 Index

Theme
01
"My Mother at 66" is a poem by Kamala Das that explores
the theme of aging and the changing dynamics of the
relationship between a mother and her adult child. In the
poem, the speaker observes her mother at the age of 66, 02
reflecting on the passage of time and the physical and
emotional changes that come with it. The poem captures
the tenderness and nostalgia of witnessing a parent grow 03
older, while also acknowledging the complexities and
depth of their bond. Throughout the poem, there is a
sense of reverence and love for the mother, as well as a 04
bittersweet recognition of mortality and the inevitable
passage of time.
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 Index

01

02

02 03
Scene
A small gist of the topic to help us
understand the situation of the poet 04
and the scene

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 Index

Infographics
The poem My Mother at Sixty- 01
Six begins with a daughter
observing her mother closely as
they begin their journey towards 02
the Cochin airport. The author
paints a very vivid image of how
the mother has aged and as she 03
describes the same, she also
mentions the fear lurking in the
04
mind of the daughter, the fear
of losing her mother.
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 Index

03 01

Phrases 02
The meaning and expression of
different dialogues thoughts of the
daughter in the poem
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04

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 Index

Phrases and their meanings

01
‘her face ashen like that of a corpse’
02
She noticed her mother
dosing with her mouth wide-
open. 03
Her face look, pale and dull,
and as lifeless as a dead
body, the mother seem to 04
have lost the vitality of life.

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 Index

Phrases and their meanings

‘put that thought away’ 01

The poet was disturbed at the

thought that with ageing comes 02
death and decay. This turning
away doesn’t symbolize turning
away from her responsibility
03
towards her mother, but only
turning away from her own pain-
filled emotions.
04
In order to drive her thought
away from the pain, the poet
looks outside the car
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 Index

Phrases and their meanings

‘Young trees sprinting, and merry children spilling’ 01
Young trees seem to be running past, or sprinting
while travelling in a speeding car.
The many children who are enthusiastic, vibrant and 02
active are out of their homes.
For time being, she could keep up with the thoughts
03
of old age separation from her mind.
The symbolize the spontaneity of life in a contrast to
the passive and inactive life of agent mother. 04
Her mother is an image of aging DK and passivity.
On the other hand, children symbolize happiness,
strength, freshness and youth. 05
 Young trees,
sprinting and
many children
spilling
 Index

Phrases and their meanings

‘pale as a late winter moon’ 01

She took a second glance at

her old mother’s pale and 02
colorless face, reminding her
of a pale winter moon which
is misty and foggy. 03
Just like the late winter moon
lacks brightness as well as
strength, the mother to 04
appear dull pain and devoid
of brightness of youth
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 Index

Phrases and their meanings

‘old familiar childhood ache’ 01

The poet looks intensely at her mother was

02
taking a nap, inducing off with her mouth wide-
open, a pale face looked as pale as dead body.
This arouses pain in the poets heart as the 03
childhood fear of losing her mother haunts her.
It was a reality that she found her to accept that
with aging, separation and death becomes 04
unavoidable.
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 Index

Phrases and their meanings

‘see you soon amma’ 01
She beats goodbye to her
mother with the parting words.
See you soon Amma. This was 02
a way of reassuring herself and
her mother that they will meet
03
again.
The poets, continuous smiling,
is an attempt to overcome the a 04
and fear inside her heart. She
suppresses her true feelings
towards her mother. 05
 Index

See you soon Amma

01
The poem is an ode to the deep emotional
bond shared by a daughter with her mother.
My Mother at Sixty-Six Summary highlights the 02
fear of separation in the mind of the narrator
as she is confronted with the fact that her
mother is approaching old age. The poem 03
concludes on a high note as the daughter is
hopeful that she will be reunited with her
mother soon. The feelings of fear, anxiety, 04
grief and hope have been vividly portrayed by
the author in the poem.
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 Index

01

02

04 03

Poetic devices 04

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 Index

Phrases and their meanings

01
o Personification: Trees sprinting
o Simile: her her face ashen like that of a corpse,
pale as a late winter’s moon 02
o Repetition: all I did was smile and smile and
smile…
o Contrasts: sorrow in her heart is in contrast with 03
the smile, she has briefly put on her face as she
says goodbye to her mother
o Imagery: young trees sprinting, meery children 04
spilling,
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 Index

05 01

Message 02
The message given to the readers by
the poet.

03

04

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 Index

Message
01

The poem sends a very strong

02
message to the youth of today:
Do not be so busy in the fulfilment of
your desires and wishes that you 03
forget to take care of your loved ones
when they need you the most. 04

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 Index

01

Thank 02

you 03

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