NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo - Poem 1 - My Mother at Sixty Six

Q. Ageing is a natural process; have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from us?
Ans: Loneliness is common among the elderly, and they require companionship. Only by lavishing them with love, care, importance, and empathy can we prevent children from developing a negative outlook on life. They want their children to sit quietly and talk to them about their life, as well as to consider their advice when making important decisions. As a result, their dwindling vitality can be quickly restored. This joy will motivate them to embrace life to the fullest.

Think it Out

Q1: What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: While leaving her parent's home the poet's eyes fell on her mother's pallid face. For the poet, the 'ashen' face of her mother, which was also deprived of all its vitality and color, bore resemblance to a corpse. She realized that over the past decades her mother had grown old and was nearing her death. Such thoughts make her nostalgic and she starts recollecting fragments of her childhood memories from the underlying fear of losing her. The idea of staying away from her mother deeply distressed her. Even the smile on her face was an expression of her helplessness, which was inevitable.

Q2: Why are the young trees described as 'sprinting'?
Ans: While driving to the Cochin airport, she observes outside the young trees which seemed to be walking across them. They seem to be sprinting or running fast with the speed of the car. The poet provides a contrast – the ‘sprinting’ young trees and her ‘dozing’ old mother.

Q3: Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children 'spilling out of their homes'?
Ans: To present a contrast, the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’. The merry children who are coming out from their houses in huge numbers explain the spontaneous overflow and happiness of life. It is different from the old mother ‘dozing’, whose ‘ashen’ face looks pale and lifeless, similar to a corpse. The description of the poet’s mother highly indicates passivity, decay and ageing in the poem. The contrast between these two images strengthens the effect of the poem.

Q4: Why has the mother been compared to the 'late winter's moon'?
Ans: The mother of the poet is sixty-six years old. Her ‘ashen’ face which is shrunken is similar to that of a corpse. She has lost the strength of youth and her shine. The late moon in the winter looks obscure and hazy. It also lacks strength and shine. This comparison is appropriate and quite natural. The simile which is used here is effective and apt.

Q5: What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans: The parting words of the poet such as her smiles and assurance present a sharp contrast to the fear of childhood or the old familiar ache. Her smiles and words are a conscious attempt to hide her feelings. The parting words – “See you soon, Amma” assures the old woman whose ‘ashen face’ is similar to a corpse. In the same way, her continuous smile is an attempt to overcome the fear and ache that is present in her heart.