MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX ( BLOG - 3)

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY - SIX

                                                KAMALA DAS                                               

Blog -3 (period -7)12 A

Learning objectives

 The students will be able to

·                                paraphrase the poem

·                               identify the poetic devices

·                               explain the theme of the poem

·                              relate the poet’s experience to their own.

Poetic devices

Simile               : her face ashen like that of a corpse : pale as a late winter’s moon Metaphor          : merry children spilling out of their homes Personification : young trees sprinting Repetition: I did was smile and smile and smile……

Short answer questions cont……….

(Q.7) What does the poet mean by ‘all I did was smile and smile and smile…’?

(Ans) The poet realizes the pain and ache she would get at separating from her mother. It was her childhood fear that she experienced again. She was trying to hide her true emotions by smiling and smiling.

(Q.8) What does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify her ageing decay?

(Ans) The poet’s mother at sixty-six, is sitting beside the poet and is dozing off with her mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Her face was pale like that of a corpse. It conveys the image of the mother’s impending death.

(Q.9) Why does the poet look outside? What does she observe?

(Ans) The very thought of separation from her mother saddens the poet. It evokes the fear that she may never meet her mother again. In order to drive away such negative thoughts, she looks out of the window and her mind gets diverted when she sees trees moving rapidly and children playing merrily.

(Q.10) What were the activities that the poet saw outside the car window?

 (Ans) The poet saw young trees speeding past and it seemed as if they were sprinting or running fast. Happy, enthusiastic and energetic children could be seen running out of their homes. They represent an image of life, youth and energy in comparison to the poet’s mother who is described as a corpse, devoid of any energy and vitality.

(Q.11) What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?

(Ans) The poet is pained to see her mother had grown very old and frail. The sight of her mother’s pale and weak face looks like that of a corpse, which arouses her childhood’s ‘familiar ache’ in her heart. The old familiar ache refers to the childhood fear of losing or being separated from the parents (mother), the fear returns due the old age of the mother signifying her approaching end.

(Q.12) What does Kamala Das do after the security check-up? What does she notice?

(Ans) Immediately after the security check-up at the airport, and standing a few yards away from her mother, the poet observes her mother once again and compares her to the pale, colourless winter’s moon, marking the last phase of her life i.e. her old age. She is pained to see her so old and weak and the fear of separation returns in her, once again.

You have to copy poetic devices and short answer questions in your note book.

Reference to context questions will be given in the next blog.

Happy learning

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