MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX - POEM (FLAMINGO)

                               My Mother at Sixty six

                                                                By Kamala Das

                                                      

                                                       

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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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.

                                                         ABOUT THE AUTHOR

                                                      

                                                                   KAMALA DAS  

• An unorthodox literary figure who wrote in Malayalam and English, also known as Madhavikutty

• Was part of a generation of Indian writers whose work centered on personal rather than colonial experiences

• led a rich and colourful life, characterised by bold and confessional poetry and prose     that spoke of love and sexual   desire.

• acquired cult status in India like Sylvia Plath in the West.

• embraced Islam a decade before her death in 2009 and renamed herself Kamala Surayya.

Recognition

1963: PEN Asian Poetry Prize

1968: Kerala Sahitya Academy Award  

1984: Shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature

1985: Kendra Sahitya Academy Award

 

                                              POEM AND PARAPHRASE

Friday morning,

I saw my mother, beside me, doze, open mouthed,

her face ashen like that of a corpse and realised with pain 

that  she was as old as she looked but soon put that thought away, 

          

•   Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last The poet was on her way to the Cochin airport.

•       Her mother sat next to her in the car.

•       She noticed that her mother had fallen asleep.

•       Her mouth was open and her face was pale like a corpse.

•       This made her realise that her mother was old and slowly

 approaching her death.

•       She tried to put that painful thought away by looking out of the car window.

…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......

•       After the security check at the airport, the poet turns back to look at her mother, again.

•       Her mother looked pale and weak like a moon that is losing its brightness and fading away in the winter sky.

•       She was once again reminded of the childhood fear of losing her mother.

•       However, she does not share her fears and pain. She conveys a false sense of assurance by saying that she will see her mother soon. She tries hide her pain by smiling at her.

 

                                                                       SUMMARY
  This is a touching poem written by Indian poet Kamla Das who wrote under the pen name of ‘Madhavikutty’. In this poem, she describes her feeling of love and attachment towards her ageing mother.
              Once the poet went to visit her mother. She was on her way back to the the airport to return to Cochin. She looked at her mother who was seated beside her in the car. Her mother had dozed off to sleep and her ageing face - was smoky in colour like ash. Her mouth was open and she resembled a dead body. The poet realized that her mother was old. She felt pain and sympathy for her. Her mother needed love, affection and care.
               In order to come out of the gloom, the poet shifted her glance and looked out of the car’s window. There she saw young trees pass by. Little children were running out of their houses into the playgrounds. These things were contrary to the ageing face of her mother. They symbolised energy, life and happiness.

As they reached the airport and the poet was about to leave for the aeroplane, she glanced at her mother one more time. Her mother appeared weak and pale just like the moon in the winter season which seems to have lost all its strength. The poet felt the pain and fear of losing her mother. She was reminded of her childhood when she used to fear losing her mother. As a child she could not bear to be separated from her mother even for a few moments. Now the loss would be permanent as her mother was about to die and she would lose her forever.
The poet did not express her feelings. She smiled and said “see you soon, Amma” because she wanted that her mother should live and they could meet again.

                                                 THEME OF THE POEM

•  The poem explores the fear of losing a parent that haunts the poet time and again.

• This childhood fear has become a familiar pain and she tries to distract herself each time she is troubled by it.

• She is pained by the realisation that her mother had aged and was inching close to her death.

LIFE LESSON

•    Appreciating the presence of parents in our lives

•     Being aware that they are aging with every passing day and they deserve all our affection.

 Mark your attendance by posting the name of the poem and the poet in the comments. 

Attempt the MCQs to test your comprehension

Multiple choice questions

1. Where was the poet driving to?

a. home  b. airport c. play ground d. garden

2. From where were the children spilling out?

a. home b. school c. neighbourhood d. car

3. What were the parting words of the poet?

a. see you soon b. Meet you soon c. See you later d. Call you soon

4. Where was the mother sitting?

a. in front of the poet b. Beside the poet c. behind  the poet d. beside the driver

5. Name the poet of the poem” My Mother at Sixty six”.

a. Stephen Spender b. Kamala Das c. John Keats d. Pablo Neruda

6. Name the literary device used in the line ‘her face ashen like that of a corpse.

a. metaphor b. simile c. alliteration d. personification

7. What was the poet’s childhood fear?

a. flying in a plane b. inability to join merry children c. separation from her mother d. driving a car

8. What thought did the poet try to put away?

a. mother would not live long b. mother would continue sleeping c .mother would live long

d. mother would wake up

9. Why does the poet look out of the window?

a. to look at the trees b. to distract herself c. to look at the children d. she was bored

10. How does the poet distract herself from her unpleasant thoughts?

a. looks out of the window b. looks at her mother’s face c. looks at the driver’s face d. closes her eyes

11. Why has the mother been compared to a corpse ?

a. she is alert b. she is active c. she is merry d. she is passive

12. What does the image of merry children spilling symbolize?

 a. sincerity b. responsibility and duty c. carefree attitude d. passive acceptance

13. What does the old age symbolize?

a. Approaching death b. carefree life c. Freedom from responsibility d. Health and happiness

14. Why does the poet smile and smile and smile?

a. to show her happiness b. to hide her relaxed feeling c. to hide her fear   d. to hide her old age

15. What would happen if the poet did not see her mother again?

a. The poet would be hear broken b. The poet would feel relaxed c. The poet would feel confused d. The poet would be smiling

 Copy the theme and  paraphrase from the blog. No need to copy the poem.( HW)

See you all tomorrow

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