CBSE Class 12 English Flamingo My Mother At Sixty Six Kamala Das Assignment

In a Nut-Shell : The poet is driving from her parent’s home to Cochin by car, her mother by her side—sleeping –open mouthed very pale, colorless and frail‐like a dead body indicating that her end was near. The poet looks at her and feels intense pain and agony to realize that soon death will cast her mother away from her. She tries to divert her mind, looks outside at the young trees and happy children bursting out of their homes in a playful mood (a contrasting image). After the security check at the airport she looked again at her mother’s face - pale and cold. ‘Familiar ache‐My childhood fear’ – the poet has always had a very intimate and close relationship with her mother and she has always felt the fear of being separated from her mother hence it is familiar. The poet reassures her mother that they will meet again.

Theme: My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das brings out the reality of inescapable ageing, decay and death through a simple incident. She feels worried at the thought of her separation from her mother. She realizes how much her mother and she herself have aged when she looks at the ‘young trees sprinting’ and ‘merry children spilling out of their homes’. She smiles and bids farewell saying that she would soon meet her again.

Title: The title, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ is an excellent example of showing an ever unfailing relationship between a daughter and her mother. The title is apt as the subject of the poem is the poet’s aged and frail mother. ‘My Mother’ at once establishes the context in which Kamala Das is writing – the mother’s unexpected pain and the poet’s worry about her mother’s frail health, old age and perhaps, imminent death. The title prepares us for the frail old mother and her daughter’s concern for her.

Understanding the poem: On a grey day, the speaker leaves her mother as well as her home to win her bread, while her mother with a long face stands and stares. The poet was now going to Cochin from where she had to board an aeroplane for her journey back home. The poet’s mother was sitting beside her in the car. She was travelling with the poet to see her off at the airport. As they were travelling, the old woman dozes off and the poet looks at her intently. She notices that her mother is now old and pale. She looked almost like a corpse, for her face was colourless and seemed to have lost the fervour of life.

The poet is moved to tears when she sees her mother. A fear of separation from her mother and a sense of guilt for having neglected her mother cross her mind but the compulsions of her own life made her drive that thought away. The poet started looking out of the window because she wanted to drive away the pain and agony she experienced on seeing her ageing mother. She saw trees running past her car and merry children sprinting out of their homes to play. The trees described as sprinting is an optical illusion created when the car is moving forward. Moreover the trees which are symbolic of youth and vigour are described as sprinting to contrast the old age of the mother. The children spilling out of their houses are also in the spring of their life in contrast to her mother who is at the age of sixty-six. Trees and children symbolize the spring of life, its strength, vigour and happiness which contrasts with the lifelessness and helplessness that sets in with age.

When she reaches the airport and the security check is done, the last moments of togetherness tick by. She once again glances at her mother’s pale and colourless face which resembles a winter’s moon, for it is foggy, ready to wither away any moment. In this simile, the poet has compared her mother’s face to the winter’s moon because the moon seems to lose its brightness in the winter season as it is veiled behind fog and mist.
The mother’s face also seemed to have lost its radiance and was now misted with age. The poet’s childhood fears of leaving her mother alone unattended and of losing her haunts her once again. Her apprehension that her mother may not live long grips her mind but she has no choice but to continue her journey. Even her words ‘see you soon’ seem ironical for she is not sure how soon she would be able to see her. She only bid a formal adieu and smiled and smiled to hide her guilt, anxiety and fear of the unknown.

The repetition of the word ‘smile’ indicates the rather long and artificial smile the poet had to put on to cheer up her mother and to hide her own anxiety and guilt. Time has its toll on all human relationships.

Video Summary (In Hindi)

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. Who is the poet of this poem?
(a) John Keats
(b) Rudyard Kipling
(c) William Wordsworth
(d) Kamala Das

Answer: D

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. Which Rhyming scheme is used in the poem?
(a) coupled rhyme
(b) monorhyme
(c) Alternate rhyme
(d) free verse

Answer: D

Question. Which poetic device is used in “Trees sprinting-” ?
(a) metaphor
(b) simile
(c) alliteration
(d) Personification

Answer: D

Question. 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

Assertion and Reasoning type Question:

(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Question. Assertion: The poet feels the pain of separation at the airport.
Reason: She started smiling at her.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: C

Question. Assertion: Kamala Das didn‘t like her mother growing old.
Reason: She turns her attention away from her mother.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: B

Question. Assertion: The poet compares her mother to young trees.
Reason: Her mother was also young once.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false

Answer: D

Question. Assertion: The poet didn‘t reveal her sorrow on her face in the airport.
Reason: She didn‘t like to create a scene there.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: B

Question. Assertion: Kamala Das was scared of losing her mother or her company from her childhood days.
Reason: So, kamala Das was expecting this and hence ready for this to happen.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false

Answer: C

Question. Assertion: Kamala Das took her mother to airport.
Reason: She wanted to spend some more time with her.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: A

Question. Assertion: Kamala Das was honest and didn‘t have any hesitation in describing her mother‘s ageing face.
Reason: She compares her mother‘s face to a corpse.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: A

Question. Assertion: The poet advocates the aged parents should be taken care of by their children.
Reason: She looked after her mother by being by her side.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false

Answer: C

Question. Assertion: The poet gracefully accepts the reality of her mother growing old.
Reason: She left for her destination without much difficulty.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: C

Question. Assertion: The poet compares her mother to a winter moon
Reason: Winter moon doesn‘t shine well like in other seasons.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false

Answer: C

Extract Based Questions:

1. Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract

A. Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realized with pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away…

Question. Choose the option that best applies to the given extract.
1. a conversation      2. an argument
3. a piece of advice   4. a strategy
5. a recollection        6. a suggestion
(a) 1, 3 and 6
(b) 2, 4 and 5
(c) Only 5
(d) Only 1

Answer: C

Question. Choose the book title that perfectly describes the condition of the poet’s mother.

(a) Title 1
(b) Title 2
(c) Title 3
(d) Title 4

Answer: C

Question. Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. Assertion: The poet wards off the thought of her mother getting old quickly.
Reason: The poet didn’t want to confront the inevitability of fate that was to dawn upon her mother.
(a) Assertion can be inferred but the Reason cannot be inferred.
(b) Assertion cannot be inferred but the Reason can be inferred.
(c) Both Assertion and Reason can be inferred.
(d) Both Assertion and Reason cannot be inferred.

Answer: C

Question. Choose the option that displays the same literary device as in the given lines of the extract.
her face
ashen like that
of a corpse…
(a) Just as I had I had this thought, she appeared and…
(b) My thoughts were as heavy as lead that evening when …
(c) I think like everyone else who…
(d) I like to think aloud when …

Answer: B

B. And
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, 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…

Question. What is the most likely reason the poet capitalised ‘Young Trees’?
This was to
(a) convey a clearer meaning.
(b) highlight the adj.-noun combination.
(c) enhance the contrast.
(d) draw a connection with the title.

Answer: C

Question. Choose the option that appropriately describes the relationship between the two statements given below.
Statement I The poet knows her mother has aged.
Statement II The poet feels the pain of separation.
(a) Beginning – Ending
(b) Cause – Effect
(c) Question – Answer
(d) Introduction – Conclusion

Answer: B

Question. Choose the option that completes the sentence given below.
Just as the brightness of the winter’s moon is veiled behind the haze and mist,similarly,…….
(a) the pain of separation has shaded mother’s expression.
(b) age has fogged mother’s youthful appearance.
(c) growing up has developed a seasoned maturity in the poet.
(d) memories warm the heart like the pale moon in winter.

Answer: B

Question. Choose the correct option out of the ones given below.

(a) Option 1
(b) Option 2
(c) Option 3
(d) Option 4

Answer: D

2. Stand Alone MCQs

Question. The phrase ‘old familiar ache’ has been used to refer to a fear, in this extract. This phrase can also be used to
(a) compare physical pain with mental agony.
(b) elicit someone’s unanswered queries.
(c) substantiate reasons for aches and pains.
(d) describe a longing one has been aware of.

Answer: D

Question. The tone of the poet in the poem is primarily a combination of ……… and ………
1. dauntlessness   2. apprehension
3. dejection           4. disappointment
(a) 1, 2
(b) 2, 3
(c) 3, 4
(d) 1, 4

Answer: B

Important Questions NCERT Class 12 English Flamingo Poetry 1 My Mother at Sixty six

Question. Why has the poet’s mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
Answer: The poet’s mother looks pale and worn out, devoid of the energy and enthusiasm of youth. In the twilight of her life, she appears as lackluster as the winter moon.

Question. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Answer: The young trees are described as ‘sprinting’ because the poet wants to show a contrast between the young trees and her old mother.

Question. Why are the youngsters described as springing?
Answer: The youngsters in the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’ are described as springing because they are symbolic of youth, liveliness and joy. In contrast to the poet’s frail and aging mother the children appear to be young and spirited.

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, ....

Question. What worried the poet when she looked at her mother?
Answer: The poet was worried about her mother’s advancing age and she feared final separation from her mother.

Question. Why was there pain in her realisation ?
Answer: There was pain in the poet’s realisation because her mother now looked as old as she was, her bodily infirmities that comes with old age were visible on her face. The poet was having a hard time accepting the thought of finally losing her mother.

Question. Why did she put that thought away ?
Answer: The poet put that thought away because she was going away from her mother and the thought of separation was too painful for her to bear. The realisation that old age was quickly approaching her mother filled her mind with unpleasant thoughts about losing her, which saddened and scared her deeply.

Question. Identify the figure of speech used in these lines.
Answer. The figure of speech used is a simile- “Like that of a corpse”.

.... ... ... ... 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...

Question. Name the poem.
Answer: The name of the poem is ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’.

Question. What was the poet’s childhood fear?
Answer: Since childhood, the poet feared her ultimate separation from her mother.

Question. What does her smile signify?
Answer: She smiles in order to hide her true feelings, fear and anxiety.

Question. What does the word ‘ache mean’.
Answer: The word ache means pain.

...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...

Question. What was the childhood fear that now troubled the poet?
Answer: Since her childhood the poet feared that one day she would lose her mother. Now, looking at her aging mother’s ashen face and fragile body the old fear came back to trouble her.

Question. What do the poet’s parting words suggest?
Answer: The poet’s parting words suggest that she hopes to see her mother again even though she fears she might lose her sooner than later.

Question. Why did the poet smile and smile?
Answer: The poet smiled and smiled because it was a deliberate attempt to hide her fear and anxiety of loss and separation from her mother.

Question. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her aging mother?
Answer: Troubled by the thoughts of her aging mother, Kamala Das tries to distract herself by not looking at her mother’s old, ashen face. Instead, she looks out of the car window at young trees sprinting and happy children running out of the their homes.

... but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes,...

Question. What thought did the poet drive away from her mind?
Answer: The poet drove away from her mind the thought of her mother’s impending death.

Question. What did she see when she looked out of the car?
Answer: When the poet looked out of car, she saw sprinting trees, happy children coming out of their homes to enjoy themselves.

Question. What did she see that the joyful scene did not help her drive away the painful thought from her mind?
Answer: The poet looked at her mother’s face once again and experienced the old familiar ache, the childhood fear of losing her mother. She gazed at her mother’s pale appearance the joyful scene did not help her drive away the painful thoughts from her mind.

Summary:

• The poet is driving from her parents home to Cochin by car, her mother by her side-sleeping- open mouthed very pale, colorless and frail-like a dead body indicating that her end was near.
• The poet looks at her and feels intense pain and agony to realize that soon death will cast her mother from her.
• Tries to divert her mind, looks outside at the young trees and happy children bursting out of their homes in a playful mood 
• After the security check at the airport looked again at her mother's face-pale and cold.
• "Familiar ache-My childhood fear" -the poet has always had a very intimate and close relationship with her mother and she has always felt the fear of being separated from her mother hence it is familiar.
• The poet reassures her mother that they will meet again

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS : Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. "Driving from my parent's home to Cochin last Friday
Morning, I saw my mother, beside me, doze,
open mouthed, her face ashen like that
Of a corpse and realized with pain
That looked as old as she was
But soon put that thought far away.'

Question. Where is the poet at present?
Answer: The poet is on her way from her ancestral home to Cochin Airport ,travelling by a car with her aged mother dozing off leaning against her body.

Question. How does the poet describe her mother?
Answer: The poet describes her mother as old, pale, cold and senile. As she dozed off beside her, the mother looked almost like a corpse, for her face was colorless and seemed to have lost the colour and vitality of life.

Question. Who does 'she' refer to in the last line? What thoughts had she driven away?
Answer: 'She' here refers to the poet, Kamala Das. She wanted to put the haunting thought of parting with her mother away.

Question. Explain the expression'. Pain that looked as old as she was'
Answer: Her pain about losing her mother is as old as she was. The poetess wants to express the idea that the pain / fear was haunting her since her child hood.

2. " but soon
put that thought far away, and looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes"

Question. What was the poet 'looking' at? What did she notice?
Answer: The poet was looking at her mother. She noticed the mother's ashen and almost lifeless face distraught with pain.

Question. What thought did she try to drive away?
Answer: She tried to drive away the thought of her mother's approaching death.

Question. Why did the poet start 'looking out'? What does her gesture suggest?
Answer: The poet started looking out of the window because she wanted to drive away the pain and agony she experienced on seeing her aged mother. She wanted to drive away her helplessness in the wake of her mother's ageing and approaching death.

Question. What did the poet see from the window of the car?
Answer: The poet saw young trees running past her car and merry children sprinting out of their homes to play.

Question. What did the images of "young trees" and 'merry children' symbolize?
Answer: Trees and children symbolize the spring of life, its strength, vigour and happiness which contrasts with the lifelessness and helplessness that sets in with age.

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 moon'

Question. Who is 'I ' and why is she at the airport?
Answer: 'I' is the poet Kamala Das here and the poet was at the Cochin airport waiting to board the plane to Kolkota.

Question. Who does 'her' here to? How did she look like?
Answer: 'Her' here refers to the poet's aged mother. In her declining stage of health , the mother looked pale, cold like a corpse and like a colourless, dull later winter moon.

Question. Why does the narrator 'look at her again'?
Answer: The narrator looked at her mother once again for the last time before she left to reassure herself about the well being of her mother. She had tried to drive away the pain she had felt on seeing her weak and aged mother. It was a look of reassurance to meet her again , of anxiety and fear that it would be her last meeting .

Question. Explain: 'wan, pale as a late winter's moon'.
Answer: In this simile, the poet similarises the mother's pale and withered face to the late winter's moon.
Winter symbolizes death and the waning moon symbolizes decay. Just like the winter loses its magnificence and brightness in winter covered and dimmed in fog and mist, the thick cover of the winter of old age has made the mother weak, pale, withered, inactive and spiritless.

4. " 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."

Question. What 'familiar ache' did the poet feel?
Answer: The 'familiar ache' refers to the poet's fear of losing her mother and the realization that she has not cared and cannot care for her ageing mother. It is an ache of helplessness. It is also a fear of separation from the mother or the mother's death.

Question. What could have been the poet's childhood fears?
Answer: I think the poet's childhood fear was that she would lose her mother or be separated from her and that death would consume her mother.

Question. Did the poet share her thoughts with her mother?
Answer: The poet did not share her fears and agony with her mother. She only bid good bye to her with the hope of seeing her soon.

Question. Why do you think, the poet did not share her thoughts with her mother?
Answer: I think the poet did not share her thoughts with her mother because they were caused by her fear of the unknown. Sharing them with the mother would have worried the frail old woman to death.

Question. Why did the poet only 'smile'?
Answer: The poet only smiled to hide her guilt, anxiety and fear of the unknown. Also, she wanted to bid a cheerful farewell to her mother before boarding the flight, giving a hollow promise wrapped in ameaningless smile..

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Question. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Answer: When the poet looks at her mother's face she found that it had become pale and withered. She realized that her mother was at the edge of her life and her end was near. The thought that her mother would be soon separated form her caused unbearable pain and ache in the poet's heart.

Question. What does the poet do to shrug off the painful thought of her mother's approaching end?
Answer: To get rid of the painful thought her mother's nearing end ,the poet shifter her attention from her mother's pale face to the sprinting trees and the happy children spilling out of their house.

Question. Why does the poet draw the image of sprinting trees and merry children?
Answer: Sprinting trees and merry children bursting out from the doors suggest fresh life and warm energy, vitality , youthfulness, spirit etc.. The poet draws this image to strikes a scene of contrast with the pale, dull and withered face of the mother at the declining stage of her health.

Question. Why have the trees been described as sprinting?
Answer: The poet was driving in a car along with her mother. Her movement created the visionary, illusion of the trees outside appeared to be sprinting past.

Question. Why has the mother been compared to the late winter's moon?
Answer: The late winter moon lacks luster. The mothers face was pale and withered. Moreover, the late winter moon suggests the end of season and mother too is nearing the end of her life, therefore the poet compares her with the late winter's moon.

Question. What is the 'familiar ache'?
Answer: The fear of losing her mother has tortured the poet from her very childhood because she had been intimately bound up with her. Therefore this ache is familiar to her.

Question. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Answer: The parting words of the poet reflect the poet's pain , frustration, guilt andhelplessness . But she wears a smile on her face to mask her pain and to give hope, happiness and reassurance to her mother.

THEME: The poem "My Mother at Sixty- six" examines the themes of:

(i) Advancing age

(ii) The fear of loss & separation.

MAIN POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1. The poet was travelling in a car along with her mother to the Cochin airport.

2. She compares the ashen face of her mother to a dead body; suddenly realizes that her mother has grown old & will finally die leaving her alone in this world.

3. This thought is painful to her so to divert her mind she looks out of the window of the car.

4. She sees the young trees running &the happy children coming out of their homes.

5. They are representatives' of-youth, energy, life & are in contrast to the pale worn out face of her mother who is sleeping beside her.

6. The dull face of her mother reminds her of the late winter's moon & troubles her once again of losing her mother.

7. At last she says good bye to her mother with a smile& without disclosing her feelings and fear of separation.

Figures of Speech used:

*SIMILE-: her face ashen like that of a corpse, as a late winters moon.

*REPETITION-: smile and smile and smile

*CONTRAST-: Old mother in the car has been contrasted with the young trees running and happy children coming out of their homes to the sadness of the poet on realizing the advancing age of her mother.

MCQs : 

Question. Smile and smile and smile is
(a) alliteration
(b) repetition
(c) simile
(d) metaphor

Answer: D

Question. She said to her mother
(a) goodbye
(b) au revoir
(c) good morning go.
(d) see you soon, Amma

Answer: D

Question. 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

Question. ‘Trees sprinting’ is a poetic device. It is
(a) personification
(b) alliteration
(c) repetition
(d) simile

Answer: A

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. ‘Children spilling out’ is an
(a) simile
(b) metaphor
(c) personification
(d) transferred epithet

Answer: B

Question. 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

Question. The poetess says her mother looked pale like a
(a) corpse
(b) ghost
(c) malnourished child
(d) anaemic person

Answer: A

Question. The person in the car, beside the poetess, was,
(a) her aunt
(b) her niece
(c) her uncle
(d) her mother 

Answer: D

Question. She was going to
(a) Goa
(b) Mumbai
(c) Cochin
(d) Kolkata

Answer: C

Question. 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

Question. Kamala Das was an
(a) Bengali
(b) Punjabi
(c) Keralite
(d) Gujarati 

Answer: C

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. 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

Question. What was the expression of the poet’s face while parting from her mother?
(a) satirical
(b) funny
(c) sad
(d) smiling

Answer: D

Question. The poem is made up of
(a) twenty lines
(b) a single sentence
(c) ten stanzas
(d) five stanzas

Answer: B

Question. Name the poetic devices used in the poem.
(a) metaphor
(b) similie
(c) alliteration
(d) all of these

Answer: D

Question. 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

Assertion And Reasoning Type Questions:

Question. Assertion: The poet was honest and didn't have any hesitation in describing her mother's ageing face.
Reason: She compares her mother's face to a corpse.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: A

Question. Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below:
Assertion: The poet brings in the image of merry children spilling out of their homes.
Reasoning: The merry children present an image of happiness and exuberance. This image is in stark contrast to the 'dozing‘ old mother who is an image of ageing, decay and passivity.
(a) Both A & R are correct. R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A & R are correct. R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is right, R is wrong
(d) R is right, A is wrong

Answer: A

Question. Assertion: The poet wards quickly off the thought of her mother getting old.
Reasoning: The poet didn‘t want to confront the inevitability of fate that was to dawn upon her mother.
(a) A can be inferred but R cannot be inferred
(b) A cannot be inferred but R can be inferred.
(c) Both A &R can be inferred
(d) Both A & R cannot be inferred

Answer: C

Question. Assertion: The poet was scared of losing her mother or her company from her childhood days.
Reason: So, the poet was expecting this and hence ready for this to happen.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false

Answer: C

Question. Assertion: The poet compares her mother to young trees.
Reason: Her mother was also young once.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false

Answer: B

Question. Assertion: The poet didn't reveal her sorrow on her face in the airport.
Reason: She didn't like to create a scene there.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: B

Question. Assertion: The poet gracefully accepts the reality of her mother growing old.
Reason: She left the airport without much difficulty.
(a) Both, A and R, are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both, A and R, are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
(e) Both A and R are false.

Answer: E

More Important Questions For CBSE Class 12 English My Mother at Sixty Six Kamla Das Assignment........

Answer: (a) The trees seem to sprint because as the car moves ahead, the movement of the trees is backward.
(b) The poet’s feeling of anxiety and fear for her mother’s health made her look again at her mother.
(c) She observed her mother’s pale appearance, resembling the late winter moon.
(d) Simile – Pale as a late winter’s moon

Extract Based Questions:

1. Read the following extract and choose the most appropriate option for each
question. 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, and looked out at Young Trees sprinting,

Question. The words 'doze‘ and 'ashen‘ reflect that the mother was
(a) Tired and sleepy
(b) Sick and unhealthy
(c) Lost strength and vigour as she had grown old
(d) Hale and healthy

Answer: C

Question. ' Trees sprinting‘ contains
(a) Metaphor
(b) Personification
(c) Simile
(d) Alliteration

Answer: B

Question. What did the poet realize seeing her mother beside her in the car?
(a) That her mother may not survive for long
(b) That her mother was suffering
(c) That her mother wanted her to be with her.
(d) That she wanted to go with her daughter.

Answer: A

Question. ‗Thought Away‘ means
(a) Diverted
(b) Escaped
(c) Drifted
(d) Avoided

Answer: A

Question. Kamala Das turned her attention from her mother, because
(a) She was feeling guilty.
(b) She was shirking her responsibility
(c) She was trying to escape from pain filled emotions.
(d) She didn‘t like the idea of her mother growing old.

Answer: C

Question. The Literary Devices used in the above extract are
(a) Simile and Refrain
(b) Simile and personification
(c) Simile and Alliteration
(d) Only simile

Answer: B

Question. The Poetic Device used in the above lines is also found in
(a) Leena is the Latha Mangeshkar of Hyderabad.
(b) Ayra is as cool as a cucumber to receive the heavy news.
(c) The elephant is heavier than many other animals.
(d) He is a tiger

Answer: B

2. Read the following extract and choose the most appropriate option for each question. 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......

Question. Though she feels painful, kamala Das smiles on …
(a) To hide her sad feelings and emotions
(b) To encourage her mother to smile and feel good
(c) Not to dishearten her mother by showing her worried face
(d) All the above

Answer: D

Question. Kamala Das comparing her mother to winter moon signifies
(a) Human life is as short as that of the moon.
(b) Though the mother is old, she is still beautiful
(c) Winter is the last season of the year
(d) Mother is about to die

Answer: B

Question. The tone of the poem is
(a) Pensive and sorrowful
(b) Disillusioned and unhappy
(c) Happy but discontented
(d) Remorseful

Answer: A