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CBSE Class 12  >  Class 12 Notes  >  English   >  Extract Based Questions: My Mother at Sixty-Six

Extract Based Questions: My Mother at Sixty-Six

Read the given extract and answer the questions
Extract:
Driving from my parent's
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed
(My mother at sixty-six)

Question (i) What is the rhyme scheme of the extract? 
(a) ABABC
(b) ABCDE
(c) AABBA
(d) ABABA
Ans: (b)
Explanation: Each line in this extract ends with a different sound: "parent's", "Friday", "mother", "me", "mouthed". Since none of the line-end sounds repeat, we label them consecutively as A, B, C, D, E. Therefore, the rhyme scheme is ABCDE, which corresponds to option (b).

To find the rhyme scheme of a poem, we need to label each line with a letter that corresponds to its end sound. If two lines rhyme with each other, they get the same letter. If they don't rhyme, they get different letters.
Let's look at the extract and label each line with a letter:

  • Driving from my parents (A)
  • home to Cochin last Friday (B)
  • Morning, I saw my mother, (C)
  • beside me, (D)
  • doze, open-mouthed (E)

As you can see, none of the lines rhyme with each other. They all have different end sounds. So the rhyme scheme is ABCDE. That's why the correct answer is (b) ABCDE.
Question (ii): What does the use of the word "doze" suggest?
(a) The mother is tired and sleepy.
(b) The mother is bored and restless.
(c) The mother is alert and attentive.
(d) The mother is angry and annoyed.
Ans: (a)
Explanation: The verb "doze" means to sleep lightly or to be half-asleep. In this context, it indicates that the mother is drowsy and not fully alert during the journey. This choice fits the image of an older person who is tired and passive, so option (a) is correct.
Question (iii): Select the option that is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract.
(a) It creates a sense of continuity and movement.
(b) It reflects the speaker's stream of consciousness.
(c) It emphasizes the contrast between "parent's" and "Cochin."
(d) It indicates a pause or a change of direction.
Ans: (d)
Explanation: The lack of punctuation at the line end causes enjambment, which carries the thought forward into the next line and creates continuity and a flowing movement of ideas. It also mirrors the natural flow of the speaker's thoughts, so it can be read as stream of consciousness and helps connect "parent's" with "Cochin." It does not mark a clear pause or change of direction, so option (d) is not true.

Question (iv): What is the tone of the speaker in the extract?
(a) Joyful and optimistic
(b) Sad and nostalgic
(c) Angry and resentful
(d) Neutral and factual
Ans: (b)
Explanation:

  • Tone is the attitude or emotion that the speaker or writer conveys through their words and style. To determine the tone, we need to analyse the words and phrases used in the poem.
  • The speaker uses words and images that show sadness and nostalgia for her mother. Descriptions elsewhere in the poem such as "ashen like that of a corpse" and "wan, pale as a late winter's moon" present the mother as fragile and ageing. Phrases like "realised with pain" and "old familiar ache" signal the speaker's inner sorrow and reluctant acceptance of change.
  • These emotional details make the overall tone sad and nostalgic, so option (b) is correct.

Question (v): Complete the sentence with the best word from the options given: The speaker's journey from her parent's home to Cochin is a _________ for her emotional journey from childhood to adulthood. 
(a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) symbol
(d) alliteration

Ans: (a)
Explanation: A metaphor directly compares two unlike things by implying one is the other, without using "like" or "as". Here, the outward journey from the parent's home to Cochin represents an inner emotional passage from dependence toward independence and the speaker's awareness of ageing and separation. This is a metaphorical use of a physical journey to signify emotional change, so option (a) is correct.
Question (vi): True or false: The poem has a regular rhythm and rhyme scheme.
Ans: False
Explanation: The lines do not follow a strict metrical pattern or repeating end-rhyme scheme. The poet uses free verse techniques-irregular line lengths and varied end sounds-to reflect the natural flow of thought and emotion. This lack of regular rhythm and rhyme supports the answer False.
Read the given extract and answer the questions
Extract:
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes
(My mother at sixty-six)

Question (i) What is the speaker doing in the extract?

(a) She is driving with her mother.
(b) She is looking at the scenery outside the window.
(c) She is remembering her childhood.
(d) She is talking to her mother.
Ans: (b)
Explanation: The speaker describes visual details-"young trees sprinting" and "merry children spilling out of their homes"-which shows she is observing the scenery outside the window. These lively images contrast with her mother's stillness, indicating that the speaker's attention is on the outside view rather than on conversation or memory in that moment, so option (b) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:

  • Hi, this is a question about comprehension. Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is being read or heard.
  • To answer this question, we need to read the extract carefully and identify what the speaker is doing based on the words and phrases she uses.
  • The extract shows that the speaker is looking out at the scenery outside the window while she is driving with her mother. She uses words and phrases that describe what she sees, such as "young trees sprinting" and "merry children spilling out of their homes". These are images of life and energy, which contrast with her mother's old and tired appearance. The speaker also uses verbs that suggest movement and action, such as "sprinting" and "spilling", which contrast with her mother's inactivity and passivity.
  • By reading the extract carefully and identifying what the speaker is doing based on the words and phrases she uses, we can answer this question correctly.
  • That's why the correct answer is (b). She is looking at the scenery outside the window.

Question (ii) What figure of speech does the speaker use to describe the trees in the extract?

(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Personification
(d) Hyperbole
Ans: (c)
Explanation: Describing trees as "sprinting" gives them human attributes - speed and deliberate movement - which is an instance of personification. The trees are not literally running; giving them this human action creates a vivid, energetic image, so option (c) is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hi, this is another question about figurative language again. Figurative language is the use of words or expressions that have a different meaning from their literal one, such as metaphors, similes, personification, etc.
Question (iii) True or false: The extract contains an example of onomatopoeia.
Ans: False
Explanation:

  • Sound devices create effects by how words sound. Onomatopoeia specifically uses words that imitate actual sounds (for example, "buzz" or "crash").
  • The extract contains vivid visual verbs and images ("sprinting", "spilling"), but none of the words imitate a sound.
  • Therefore, the statement is False: the extract does not contain onomatopoeia.

Question (iv) What mood does the speaker create in the extract?
(a) Happiness and excitement

(b) Sadness and regret
(c) Anger and frustration
(d) Curiosity and wonder
Ans:
(a)
Explanation: The words "young," "sprinting" and "merry children spilling" convey liveliness, joy and movement. These images produce a mood of happiness and excitement. The energetic scene outside the window contrasts with the speaker's concern for her mother, but the mood created by this extract alone is cheerful, making option (a) correct.

Question (v) What is the main idea or message of the extract?
(a) The speaker enjoys spending time with her mother.

(b) The speaker feels sorry for her mother's condition.
(c) The speaker tries to distract herself from her mother's aging.
(d) The speaker wishes she could be like her mother.
Ans: (c)
Explanation: In this extract the speaker focuses on vibrant scenes outside the car-trees, children, movement-while her mother sits beside her drowsy and pale. This contrast suggests the speaker is using the lively scenery to divert attention from her worry about her mother's frailty. Thus the main idea is that the speaker distracts herself from her mother's ageing, which matches option (c).

Question (vi) Which word in the extract is an antonym of "merry"?

(a) young
(b) sprinting
(c) spilling
(d) wan
Ans: (d)
Explanation: "Merry" means cheerful or lively. The word "wan" describes a pale, weak or sickly appearance and conveys lack of cheerfulness. As an opposite in mood or tone, wan serves as an antonym to "merry", so option (d) is correct.

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FAQs on Extract Based Questions: My Mother at Sixty-Six

1. What is the central theme of the poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six"?
Ans. The central theme of the poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six" revolves around the poet's emotions and reflections as she watches her aging mother and contemplates mortality.
2. How does the poet describe her mother's appearance in the poem?
Ans. The poet describes her mother as fragile and vulnerable, with white hair and a tired expression on her face, highlighting the effects of aging.
3. What emotions does the poet experience while observing her mother in the car?
Ans. The poet experiences a mix of emotions, including love, concern, and a sense of sadness as she realizes the passing of time and the inevitability of aging.
4. How does the poet convey the passage of time in the poem?
Ans. The poet conveys the passage of time through vivid imagery, such as the setting sun, the quiet road, and the contrast between the youthful memories of her mother and her current state.
5. What is the significance of the title "My Mother at Sixty-Six" in the context of the poem?
Ans. The title "My Mother at Sixty-Six" highlights the poet's contemplation of her mother's aging process and serves as a reminder of the inevitable cycle of life and the bond between mother and daughter.
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Apr 12, 2026 Last updated
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