My Mother at Sixty-six

Central theme: The poem is a deeply personal meditation on the fear of losing one's mother — the fear of her death. Kamala Das observes her ageing mother on a drive to the Cochin airport and is overwhelmed by a sudden, acute awareness of her mother's mortality. The fear the poet expresses: 1. Fear of her mother's death: When the poet looks at her mother dozing in the car, she sees a face that is 'pale as a late winter's moon' — a simile that suggests pallor, fading life, and the closeness of death. The image is striking: the winter moon is cold, distant, and fading at dawn. 2. The recurring childhood fear: The poet says that the sight of her mother's face brought back 'that old familiar ache' — the fear of losing her mother that she has carried since childhood. This suggests that this is not a new fear but a long-suppressed anxiety that surfaces sharply in this moment. 3. The contrast: As the car moves, the poet sees 'young trees sprinting' and 'merry children spilling out of their homes' — images of youthful energy and life. This deliberate contrast intensifies the awareness of her mother's age and decline. 4. What the poet does: At the airport, she 'smiled and smiled and smiled' — a forced, brave smile that masks her deep grief and fear. The repetition of 'smiled' emphasises the effort required to maintain composure. The poem's power lies in its honesty — the poet does not sentimentalise. She faces the fear of loss directly but cannot speak of it, hiding it behind a smile.

Kamala Das uses imagery with great skill and economy in this short poem: 1. 'Pale as a late winter's moon' (Simile): • The poet compares her mother's face to a 'late winter's moon' — pale, cold, and distant. • The 'late winter moon' is the moon seen just before dawn when it is fading, losing its brightness. • It symbolises old age, fading life, and the approach of death — beautiful but diminishing. • Winter itself is a season associated with cold, barrenness, and endings. 2. 'Young trees sprinting' (Personification / Imagery): • As the car moves, trees outside seem to sprint past — a visual effect of speed. • The trees are described as 'young' — they are vibrant, swift, full of life and energy. • This image serves as a sharp contrast to the poet's ageing mother: the world outside is young and rushing forward while her mother is still and fading. 3. 'Merry children spilling out of their homes' (Imagery): • Children 'spilling' out of homes suggests irrepressible, overflowing life and energy. • Like the young trees, they are another contrast to the mother's stillness. • They represent the beginning of life's journey — as the mother is near its end. 4. The colours: • The poem is visually stark — the 'ashen' face of the mother vs. the implied greenness of the sprinting trees. Theme through imagery: The central tension of the poem — youth and death, life and decline — is expressed entirely through these contrasting images. The poet does not need to state her fear explicitly; the images say everything.

The parting at the airport is the emotional climax of the poem: The scene: At the airport, the poet says her goodbyes to her mother. The poem's final lines are: 'and smiled and smiled and smiled—' What the parting reveals: 1. Suppressed grief: The poet is afraid — afraid this may be one of the last times she sees her mother. The 'familiar ache' she has felt since childhood resurfaces acutely. 2. The inability to express deep emotion: Faced with the imminent separation and the possibility of her mother's death before the next meeting, the poet cannot find words. All she can do is smile. 3. The brave face: Smiling is a way of holding back tears and maintaining composure — for her own sake and her mother's. She does not want to alarm or grieve her mother with the expression of her own fear. How she copes with her fear: 1. By smiling: The repetition 'smiled and smiled and smiled' suggests the effort to maintain the smile — it is not spontaneous joy but a conscious, deliberate choice to suppress sorrow. 2. By expressing the wish: 'Like the merry children spilling out of their homes' — she compares herself (hoping for reunion) to the children she saw, suggesting she hopes to 'spill' back to her mother with joy. 3. 'See you soon, Amma' — the words said at parting are an act of will, a refusal to give in to the fear that this may be the last goodbye. The ending is haunting precisely because the poet's composure is transparent — we see the grief beneath the smile.