My Mother at Sixty Six
This poem revolves around the theam of advancing age and the fear adheared to it of loss and separation.
The poet is on the way to airport in Cochin ,when she is stuck by the realization of the advancing age of her mother.It is very difficult for her to accept that her mother is creeping into the grips of old age.When she looks at her mother sitting by her side ,she notices her corpse like ashen face which reminds her of her aproaching death.She is pale and worn out. The green trees racing past the speeding car are grim reminders of time which has passed.The joyous children playing outside give her some respite a she is lost in her thoughts of old age.The children represent old youth,energy and life.she is probably driven back to the days of her idyllic youth when the mother had been young.Now she was encircled in the fear of losing her,this made her feel insecure.She had this feeling when ever she looked at her mother as she had lost the blush of youth and middle age and now in her twiligh years had become as pale as the winter moon. She is happy to see her mother is still breathing.But she is beset with sorrow and insecurity as she departs at the airport bidding goodbye to her mother and trying to hide her fears by smiling as she looked at her. Summary This poem by Indian poet Kamala Das presents a daughter’s anguish at the realization that her mother was growing old and that one day she would die. It is a poem on separation. It is a poem on death. While going to the airport to board a flight to a distant country, with her mother in the car, the poet suddenly grows aware of mother’s ageing and death in her absence. Way to the airport The poet was going to the Cochin international Airport. She was probably in a taxi. It is certain that she was going to a distant place for a long stay there. She was accompanied by her aged mother. The mother was very old, older than her age. During the journey the mother slipped into a doze. Her mouth remained open like that of a dead body. Moreover her face had lost the color of life. Her face was colorless, ashen. Pain of separation While the poet was deeply thinking about this separation, the possibility of their meeting again, the possible demise of the aged mother, she happened to look at the mother. The poet was amazed to see that her mother had been watching her throughout! She knew that the mother had been reading her mind as thoughts were flashing through. An attempt to encourage the mother Now that the poet knew that her mother had been reading her troubled mind out and measured the sadness in her. But the poet wanted to convince the mother that she had not been thinking about her death. To have that expression on her face, the poet looked out and tried to brush away her sadness. An attempt to forget pain In an attempt to look cheerful, the poet now looked out of the car. But what she saw outside didn’t cheer her up. On the contrary she grew sadder looking out. What she saw there sharply contrasted with what she had with her. The young trees were running cheerfully. Young children were in their jolly mood, playing fun and frolic. Everything looked cheerful and lively outside while the mother remained almost lifeless and the poet sad. The security check-in was completed. The daughter was left with a few seconds to see her aged mother. She turned back at the mother who stood a few feet away. Late winter’s moon The poet now looks at the mother’s aged face. The two words, wan and pale, well describe the mother’s appearance. The late winter’s moon is dim. It is always under the threat of dark clouds of fog and mist. Any moment the moon in the late winter can be hidden by these clouds. Similarly the poet’s mother is approached by death. Any time she could be swept away by death. Childhood fears return In the childhood, the poet had to separate from her mother innumerable times. It was quite painful for the poet to separate from her mother those days. She used to fear these occasions as she thought they would never meet again. Smiles that mean pain The poet was overcome by the intense pain of separation. She could not speak many words at this time. Controlling her overwhelming emotions she managed to bid her mother farewell. She had the least hope of meeting her mother again. Yet she struck a note of optimism by saying they both would meet again soon. See you soon, mother… The poet is attempting to ease the situation by a long smile that meant consolation to her mother. She smiled with the expectation that her mother would translate it that the daughter was not worried about anything and therefore there was no need to worry about their union. They will definitely meet. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS |
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