Rohit Yadav
Questions
(a)Where was the poet driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
(b)What did the poet notice about her mother?
(c)Why was her mother’s face looked like that of a corpse?
(d)Find words from the passage which mean :
(i) sleep lightly (ii) dead body (iii) felt.
Answers:
(a)The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. Her mother was sitting beside her.
(b)She noticed that her mother was dozing with her mouth open.
(c)Her mother’s face looked pale, faded and lifeless like a dead body because she had grown old.
(d)(i) doze (ii) corpse (iii) realised.
2.…………..She
looked but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes,
Questions
(a)What did the poet realise? How did she feel
(b) What did she do then?
(c)What did she notice in the world outside?
(d)Find words from the passage which mean: (ii) running fast (ii) happy (iii) moving out.
Answers:
(a)Her mother was lost somewhere else in thoughts. It pained her.
(b)The poet withdrew her thoughts from her mother and looked outside.
(c)The young trees growing outside went past as if they were sprinting. Happy children were coming out of their houses.
(d)(i) sprinting (ii) merry (iii) spilling.
3………………but after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s mooft 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
(a)What did the poet do after the security check?
(b)Why did the poet compare her mother’s face to a late winter’s moon?
(c)What is her childhood fear ?
(d)How do the parting words of the poet and her smile present a contrast to her real feelings?
Answers:
(a)After the security check, the poet stood a few yards away from her mother and looked at her face again.
(b)The late winter moon lacks brightness as well as strength. The pale and colourless face of the mother resembles the late winter moon.
(c)The fear of ageing and ultimate death/separation.
(d)The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles present a stark contrast to the old familiar ache or childhood fear. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide what is going on inside.
QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED
Q1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar pain or the ache returns. Perhaps she has entertained this fear since her childhood. Ageing is a natural process. Time and ageing spare none. Time and ageing have not spared the poet’s mother and may not spare her as well. With this ageing, separation and death become inevitable.
Q2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Ans: The poet is driving to the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees seem to be walking past them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or sprinting. The poet presents a contrast—her ‘dozing’ old mother and the ‘sprinting’ young trees.
Q3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ ?
Ans: The poet has brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ to present a contrast. The merry children coming out of their homes in large numbers present an image of happiness and spontaneous overflow of life. This image is in stark contrast to the ‘dozing’ old mother, whose ‘ashen’ face looks lifeless and pale like a corpse. She is an image of ageing, decay and passivity. The contrast of the two images enhances the poetic effect.
Q4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken ‘ashen’ face resembles a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. Similarly the late winter’s moon looks hazy and obscure. It too lacks shine and strength. The comparison is quite natural and appropriate. The simile used here is apt as well as effective.
Q5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans: The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast to the old familiar ache or fear of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide her real feelings. The parting words: “See you soon, Amma” give an assurance to the old lady whose ‘ashen face’ looks like a corpse. Similarly, her continuous smiles are an attempt to overcome the ache and fear inside her heart.
MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. Where was the poet going and who was with her?
Ans: The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. The poet’s mother had comfe to see her off. She was sitting beside her. She was dozing with her mouth open. The words ‘driving’ and ‘doze’ provide a contrast between images of dynamic activity and static passivity respectively.
Q2. What was the poet’s childhood fear? [All India 2014]
Ans: The child is always in fear of being separated from his parents. In the same way, the poet’s fear as a child was that of losing her mother or her company.
Q3. 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 is sixty-six years old. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing with her mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Usually old people keep their mouth open to overcome breathing problems. Her face looked pale and faded like ash. Actually, she is an image of death as her ‘ashen’ face looks like that of a corpse.
Q4. What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and look outside?
Ans: The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless like a corpse. She provides an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems to be lost in her thoughts. The poet needs a distraction, a change. She puts that thought away and looks outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness and activity.
Q5. Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?
Ans: The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her dozing with mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the poet watches young trees speeding past them. They seem to be running fast or sprinting. Happy children are moving out of their homes cheerfully. They present an image of life, dynamism and activity.
Q6. Why does the poet look outside? What does she see happening outside?
Ans: The thought of the ageing mother at sixty-six and her pale and ashen face looking like a corpse becomes too heavy for the poet to bear. She needs a distraction, a diversion and therefore she looks outside. She watches young trees. These trees speed past them and appear to be sprinting. Then she sees happy children moving out of their houses and making merry.
Q7. How has the poet contrasted the scene inside the car with the activities going on outside?
Ans: The poet has used beautiful images to highlight the stark contrast between the scene inside the car and the activities going on outside. The ‘ashen’ face of the poet’s mother is pale and lifeless. It looks like that of a corpse. She is dozing and lost to herself. The image of the ‘dozing’ mother is contrasted with the ‘spilling’ of children. The ‘ashen’ and ‘corpse¬like’ face is contrasted with the young trees sprinting outside.
Q8. What does the poet do after the security check-up? What does she notice?
Ans: They have to pass through a security check-up at the airport. After it, the poet stands a few yards away. Before saying parting words to her mother, she looks at her mother again. Her face looks pale and colourless like the late winter’s moon. She presents a picture of ageing and decay.
Q9. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans: The poet’s mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon to bring out the similarity of ageing and decay. The late winter moon looks hazy and obscure. It lacks shine and strength. The poet’s mother has an ‘ashen’ face resembling a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength of youth. The comparison reinforces the impact.
Q10. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?
Ans: The poet is pained at the ageing and decaying of her mother. The fear is that with ageing comes decay and death. The sight of her old mother’s ‘ashen’ and corpse-like face arouses “that old familiar ache” in her heart. Her childhood fear returns. She is also pained and frightened by the idea that she may have to face all these things herself.
Q11. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?[All India 2014]
Ans: Kamala Das was in much trouble after seeing the lifeless and faded face of her mother. The old lady seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The poetess turned away her attention from her mother and looked outside. The outside world was full of life and activity. The young trees seemed to be running fast. The children looked happy while moving out of their homes.
Q12. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother ?
OR
With fear and ache inside her heart and words of assurance on lips and smile on the face, the poet presents two opposite and contrasting experiences. Why does the poet put on a smile?
Ans: The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother at sixty-six brings an image of decay and death. It brings that old familiar fear of separation back. She fears the ultimate fate of human beings. But she has to put on a brave face. She regains self-control. She composes herself and tries to look normal. She utters the words of assurance that they will meet again soon. She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.
Q13. What poetic devices have been used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Ans: The poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is rich in imagery. Kamala Das uses the devices of comparison and contrast. The use of simile is very effective. The face of the poet’s old mother is described as ‘ashen’. This ashen face is ‘like that of a corpse’. The poet uses another simile. The “wan, pale’ face of the mother is compared to ‘a late winter’s moon’.
The poem excels in contrasts. The old ‘dozing’ lady inside is contrasted with the young trees “sprinting” and merry children “spilling” out of their homes.
MCQs
Question 1.
The mother’s old age and lack of energy is a depiction of
(a) the poet’s helplessness in old age
(b) joy and fun of old age
(c) bonding of mother with family members
(d) sickness and ill-health
Answer
(a) the poet’s helplessness in old age
Question 2.
The poem is made up of
(a) twenty lines
(b) a single sentence
(c) ten stanzas
(d) five stanzas
Answer
(b) a single sentence
Question 3.
The image of merry children has been brought out by the narrator in order to
(a) show energy and exuberance of young children
(b) to show the children playing
(c) to show the children playing pranks
(d) to compare with herself
Answer
(a) show energy and exuberance of young children
Question 4.
The narrator is only using her smile to
(a) cover up her pain
(b) make herself happy
(c) to make her mother happy
(d) to make her father happy
Answer
(a) cover up her pain
Question 5.
Smile and smile and smile is
(a) alliteration
(b) repetition
(c) simile
(d) metaphor
Answer
(b) repetition
Question 6.
She said to her mother
(a) goodbye
(b) au revoir
(c) good morning go.
(d) see you soon, Amma
Answer
(d) see you soon, Amma
Question 7.
When the narrator looked at her mother again she felt a pang of
(a) her familiar ache
(b) guilt
(c) heartache
(d) a headache
Answer
(a) her familiar ache
Question 8.
The narrator again compared her mother too
(a) summer’s sun
(b) rain clouds
(c) late winter’s moon
(d) trees and plants
Answer
(c) late winter’s moon
Question 9.
‘Children spilling out’ is an
(a) simile
(b) metaphor
(c) personification
(d) transferred epithet
Answer
(b) metaphor
Question 10.
‘Trees sprinting’ is a poetic device. It is
(a) personification
(b) alliteration
(c) repetition
(d) simile
Answer
(a) personification
Question 11.
She soon put that thought out of her mind and
(a) smiled
(b) laughed heartily
(c) cried bitterly
(d) looked out of the window
Answer
(d) looked out of the window
Question 12.
The poetess says her mother looked pale like a
(a) corpse
(b) ghost
(c) malnourished child
(d) anaemic person
Answer
(a) corpse
Question 13.
The person in the car, beside the poetess, was,
(a) her aunt
(b) her niece
(c) her uncle
(d) her mother
Answer
(d) her mother
Question 14.
She was going to
(a) Goa
(b) Mumbai
(c) Cochin
(d) Kolkata
Answer
(c) Cochin
Question 15.
Kamala Das was an
(a) Bengali
(b) Punjabi
(c) Keralite
(d) Gujarati
Answer
(c) Keralite
Question 16.
What were the words she used while parting from her mother?
(a) See you soon Ba
(b) See you soon beeji
(c) See you soon mata ji
(d) See you soon, amma
Answer
(d) See you soon, amma
Question 17.
Whose house the poet was leaving?
(a) her friend’s house
(b) in-law’s house
(c) her husband’s house
(d) her parents’ house
Answer
(d) her parents’ house
Question 18.
What does the expression smile, smile and smile signify?
(a) poet was going home and was elated
(b) poet was happy
(c) poet was hopeless
(d) poet’s desperate efforts to hide her fears
Answer
(d) poet’s desperate efforts to hide her fears
Question 19.
What question arises from the complexity of the situation in the poem?
(a) what to do in old age
(b) how to take care of one’s skin
(c) how to drive
(d) How to strike a balance between duties and responsibilities
Answer
(d) How to strike a balance between duties and responsibilities
Question 20
What does the narrative single sentence style of the poem highlight?
(a) Poet’s feelings
(b) Poet’s insecurities
(c) poet’s thoughts
(d) poet’s intertwining thoughts
Answer
(d) poet’s intertwining thoughts
Question 21.
Why does the poet feel parted, upset and sad?
(a) because of her fears
(b) because she was getting late
(c) fear of missing her flight
(d) because of her duty towards mother and her own needs
Answer
(d) because of her duty towards mother and her own needs
Question 22.
Quote an example of personification used in the poem.
(a) sprinting trees
(b) home to cochin
(c) airport’s security check
(d) All of these
Answer
(a) sprinting trees
Question 23.
Quote an example of a metaphor used in the poem.
(a) as a late winter’s moon
(b) ‘Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes’
(c) Driving from my parent’s home
(d) None
Answer
(b) ‘Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes’
Question 24.
Which Rhyming scheme is used in the poem?
(a) coupled rhyme
(b) monorhyme
(c) Alternate rhyme
(d) free verse
Answer
(d) free verse
Question 25.
Why did the poet look at her mother again?
(a) because she was busy
(b) because she was going away
(c) because she wanted to stay back
(d) because of fear and insecurity
Answer
(d) because of fear and insecurity
Question 26.
What is the universality of the theme of the poem?
(a) death is a truth
(b) Life is a reality
(c) everyone is happy
(d) to show old age
Answer
(a) death is a truth
Question 27.
What do the parting words “See you soon Amma” signify?
(a) her carelessness
(b) Her optimistic farewell full of cheerfulness
(c) she bids goodbye like this
(d) she is in a hurry
Answer
(b) Her optimistic farewell full of cheerfulness
Question 28.
What does ‘ashen face ‘ signify?
(a) colour of face
(b) face is covered with ash
(c) Pale and lifeless face of poet’s mother
(d) to show ugly face
Answer
(c) Pale and lifeless face of poet’s mother
Question 29.
What do the running trees signify?
(a) fast moving appearance
(b) speed of the moving car
(c) fast moving change in human life from childhood to old age
(d) none
Answer
(c) fast moving change in human life from childhood to old age
Question 30.
What did the poet realize with pain?
(a) her mother’s appearance like a corpse
(b) she is inconsiderate
(c) old age is pleasant
(d) she has duties
Answer
(a) her mother’s appearance like a corpse
Question 31.
What does this narrative style of the poem signify?
(a) differing thoughts
(b) many thoughts
(c) contrasting thoughts
(d) a single thread of thought mixed with harsh realities
Answer
(d) a single thread of thought mixed with harsh realities
Question 32.
Which poetic device is used in “Trees sprinting-” ?
(a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) alliteration
(d) Personification
Answer
(d) Personification
Question 33.
Name the poetic devices used in the poem.
(a) metaphor
(b) similie
(c) alliteration
(d) all of these
Answer
(d) all of these
Question 34.
What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
(a) Losing her mother
(b) heart attack
(c) headache
(d) children screaming at her
Answer
(a) Losing her mother
Question 35.
Who is the poet of this poem?
(a) John Keats
(b) Rudyard Kipling
(c) William Wordsworth
(d) Kamala Das
Answer
(d) Kamala Das
Question 36.
What pangs did she feel when she looked at her mother?
(a) Pangs of headache
(b) Pangs of stomachache
(c) Pangs of knee pain
(d) Pangs of heartache
Answer
(d) Pangs of heartache
Question 37.
What was the poet’s childhood fear?
(a) Parting from her husband
(b) Parting from her friends
(c) Parting from her siblings
(d) losing her mother
Answer
(d) losing her mother
Question 38.
What was the expression of the poet’s face while parting from her mother?
(a) satirical
(b) funny
(c) sad
(d) smiling
Answer
(d) smiling
Question 39.
How is the imagery of ‘young trees and merry children’ a contrast to the mother?
(a) mother is old in comparison to the trees and children
(b) mother is like ash while the trees are green and children are happy
(c) like spring and autumn season
(d) Mother’s health-hopelessness and trees and merry children- youthfulness and hope
Answer
(d) Mother’s health-hopelessness and trees and merry children- youthfulness and hope
Question 40.
What does the poem revolve around?
(a) poet’s fears
(b) poet’s love for her mother
(c) Theme of old age
(d) All of these
Answer
(d) All of these
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