Get AHSEC Class 12 My Mother at Sixty-Six Question answers prepared as per academic session 2025. HS 2nd Year My Mother at Sixty-Six Solution with most important questions can be a great resource for your preparation.
About Class 12 My Mother at Sixty-Six
“My Mother at Sixty-Six” is a poignant poem by Kamala Das, prescribed in the AHSEC Class 12 syllabus. The poem captures the emotional turbulence of the poet as she grapples with the inevitable aging of her mother. Through vivid imagery and a reflective tone, the poem delves into themes of familial love, mortality, and the passage of time. Kamala Das’s introspective narrative style evokes a deep sense of empathy and poignancy, resonating with readers who have experienced similar emotions about their aging loved ones
Brief Summary of My Mother at Sixty-Six by Kamala Das AHSEC Class 12
In “My Mother at Sixty-Six,” the poet describes a moment of realization and sorrow as she observes her mother sleeping in the car while they drive to the airport. Her mother’s pale, aging face reminds her of the inevitability of death, sparking a wave of fear and sadness. As she bids her mother farewell at the airport, the poet tries to mask her emotions with a smile, hiding her deep concern and sorrow. The poem beautifully encapsulates the universal theme of aging and the fear of losing loved ones.
AHSEC Class 12 English (Poetry Section)
Chapter: 1 My Mother at Sixty-Six
AHSEC Class 12 My Mother at Sixty-Six Short Questions Answer (2 Marks)
1. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’? (HS 2012, 2015)
ANS: The poet has compared her mother to the ‘late winter moon to convey the idea of her old age. Winter comes in the last phase of the year, in the same way, the mother is approaching the last phase of her life. As late winter’s moon lacks brightness and looks hazy and misty, in the same way the mother is looking pale, old and weak. She has also lost the charm and the strength of her youth.
2. Why has the poet brought in the image of the ‘merry children spilling out of their homes’? (HS 2013, 2016)
Or
What are the ‘merry children spilling out of their homes symbolic of? (HS 2018)
ANS: The poet has used the image of merry children spilling out of their homes to bring a contrast between the old age and childhood. Her mother’s pale, colourless face stands for old and fading age. Merry children symbolise the spring of life, vigour and happiness. They also symbolize spontaneity of life in contrast to the passive and inactive life of her aged mother.
3. Explain the statement: “I saw my mother, … her face ashen like that of a corpse”. (HS 2014)
ANS: The poet looks at the pale and corpse-like face of her mother and she feels the pain and ache that she was familiar with since her childhood.
4. What do the young sprinting trees signify? (HS 2017)
ANS: When she looks outside, the young trees seem to be walking past with the speed of the car young trees seems to be running fast or sprinting. It signifies activity and energetic life full of happiness and overflow of energy in life.
5. Where is the poet going and who is with her?
Or
Where was the poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
ANS: The poet was driving to Cochin airport. The poet’s mother was sitting beside her.
6. What did the poet notice about her mother?
ANS: She noticed that her mother was weak, pale and unconscious like a dead body.
7. Why does the poet look outside? What activities does the poet see outside the car window?
ANS: The poet feels very sad thinking that her mother is nearing death. This painful thought makes her worried and anxious. So in order to divert her attention from her mother, she looks outside. The poet sees young trees running past them. She also sees little children coming out of their homes in a merry mood. She sees life and vitality in the outside world.
8. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
ANS: The young trees are described as sprinting’ as the movement of the racing car makes the trees appear as if they are running along.
9. Which thought does the speaker put away?
ANS: The speaker puts away the sad thought that her mother is old and she would be separated from her mother by death.
10. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
ANS: The poet looks at the pale and corpse-like face of her mother and she feels the pain and ache that she was familiar with since her childhood.
11. What childhood fears do you think, the poet isreferring to in the poem? Ans. The poet feels uneasy and unprotected with the thought of losing her mother. She does not expect to see her mother again on her return. So she shows a childish unwillingness to leave her mother.
12. What is the poet’s childhood fear?
ANS: The poet has entertained the fear of ageing and death from her childhood. Time and ageing spares none. With ageing, death and separation become inevitable.
13. Why does her childhood fear surface at this stage?
ANS: When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar pain and ache returns. Ageing is a natural process and with this follows death and separation. Time and ageing have not spared her mother and may not spare her as well. This brings her old familiar pain and ache back.
14. What does Kamala Das do after the security check up? What does she notice?
ANS: After the security check-up, the poet stands a few yards away from her mother and gazes at her mother. She notices the declining age and finds her pale and worn out than ever before.
15. The poet compares her mother to many things. Pick out two similes which reinforce this comparison.
ANS: (a) The two similes are: “Her face ashen like that of a corpse.” (b) “I looked again at her wan, pale as a late winter’s moon”
16. What image does the poet use to describe death in the poem?
ANS: The poet uses the image “corpse” to describe death in the poem.
17. Cite an example of one device of contrast that the poet uses in the poem.
ANS: The device of contrast that the poet uses in the poem is old age of her mother and the young trees and children playing merrily. The poet compares youth, energy, vitality and jubilance of childhood.
18. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
ANS: The poet said, “See you soon, Amma” in order to give her mother moral support and encouragement. She said so to give her mother hope that she would see her again. By “smile and smile and smile…” she means to make herself and her mother hopeful to see each other again. The poet tries to conceal the swelling emotions by smiling.
19. Though filled with negative thoughts in her mind did the poet share her feelings with her mother?
ANS: The poet did not share her fears and anxiety with her mother. Sharing her emotions of agony would have grieved her mother all the more. Instead she bade goodbye and smiled with the hope to see her again.
20. Explain the irony inherent in the conclusion of the poem?
ANS: The poet’s words ‘See you soon Amma’ and her prolonged smile at parting are ironical. They are a sharp contrast to the fear and agony which she experiences with regard to her ageing mother and her frail health.
21. What childhood fear did Kamala Das refer to in her poem ? How did she hide it? [AHSEC 2024]
ANS:- Kamala Das’ childhood fear was that she would lose her mother to the cruel hands of death and thus would be separated from her forever. She attempts to hide her fear through her elongated and superficial smile.
22.What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify ? [AHSEC 2024]
ANS:-The parting words of the poetess and her smile signify her pain and fear of losing her mother. She tries to put on a brave front by hiding this fear behind a smile. All she can say to her mother before she leaves is, ‘See you soon, Amma.
AHSEC Class 12 My Mother at Sixty-Six Long Answer Questions 4 Marks
1. 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…
Questions:. (HS 2012)
(i) Where was the poet driving to? 1
(ii) What did she notice when her mother sat beside her?1
(iii) Find words from the passage that mean ‘sleep lightly’ and ‘dead body’. 1
(iv)Why was her mother’s face like that of a corpse? 1
ANS: (i) The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport.
(ii) When her mother sat beside her, she noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open.
(iii) Sleep lightly – doze
dead body- corpse
(iv) Her mother’s face was pale, dull and completely grey like ash, which made it look like a corpse.
2. 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 he, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma, all I did was smile and smile and smile……
Questions: (HS 2014)
(i) What did the speaker do after the security check? 1
(ii) Why did the poet compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon ? 2
(iii) What was the poet’s childhood fear? (2024)
ANS: (i) After the security check, the poet stood a few yards away, and looked at her mother again.
(ii) The late winter moon lacks brightness as well as strength.
The pale and colourless face of poet’s mother resembles the late winter moon.
(iii) The poet’s childhood fear is that she might lose her mother and never see her again.
3… but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes,
(HS 2014)
Questions:
(i) Who looked out at the young trees? (ii) Which thought did the speaker put away?1
(iii) What do the young sprinting trees signify? 1
(iv) What did the poet see the children doing? 1
ANS: (i) The poet looked out at young trees. (ii) The poet put the thought of her ageing and decaying mother, away from her mind. Her ‘corpse’ like ashen’ face reminded her of her mother’s approaching death.
(iii) The young sprinting trees signify energetic action of the youth.
(iv) The poet saw the children coming out of their homes and playing.
4. … 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…… (HS 2015)
Questions:
(i) What was the childhood fear that now troubled the poet?
(ii) What do the poet’s parting words suggest?
(iii) Why did the poet smile and smile? 1
ANS: (i) The fear of losing her mother troubled the poet.
(ii) The poet said the parting words, “See you soon, Amma” in order to give her mother moral support and encouragement. She said so to give her mother hope that she would see her again.
(iii) The poet tries to conceal the swelling emotions by smiling.
5. …..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
Questions:
(i) Who looked wan and pale? Why?
(ii) What is the comparison in the stanza?
(iii) What is her childhood’s fear?
(iv) Which figure of speech is used in the second line?
ANS: (i) The poet’s mother looked wan and pale due to her old age.
(ii) The mother’s wan and pale face has been compared the late winter’s moon.
(iii) It is the fear of ageing and approaching death of her mother.
(iv) Simile – as a late winter’s moon.
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Read: AHSEC Class 12 English Complete Notes
Last Words
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