This page offers My Mother at Sixty-Six Short answer type question for Class 12 from the book Flamingo. We’ve put together a bunch of Short answer type question based on assumption, creativity, extrapolation and critical thinking. These types of questions are introduced after 2024 in CBSE Board. So, practice to understand My Mother at Sixty-Six Short answer type question
1. Question: What emotions does Kamala Das experience when she sees her mother dozing beside her in the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six”?
Answer: Kamala Das feels a deep sense of fear and sadness when she sees her mother dozing with an ashen face. She realises that her mother has aged, which brings a familiar ache of losing her loved one.
2. Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, why does the poet compare her mother’s face to a “late winter’s moon”?
Answer: The poet compares her mother’s face to a “late winter’s moon” because it looks pale and weak. Like the moon in winter, her mother seems faded and distant, which shows that she is growing old and fragile.
3. Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, how does the sight of young trees and children contrast with the poet’s feelings?
Answer: The young trees and children are full of life and joy. They show energy and movement. This is very different from the poet’s feelings of fear and sadness. She worries about her mother’s ageing. The lively scene highlights the difference between youth and old age.
4.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, what does the poet’s repeated smile at the end signify?
Answer: The poet’s repeated smile shows her effort to hide her true feelings. She feels sad and worried but smiles to comfort her mother and herself. The smile helps her mask the fear of losing her mother and pretend that everything is fine.
5.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, how does Kamala Das deal with the pain of seeing her mother’s ageing?
Answer: Kamala Das distracts herself by looking outside at the young trees and children. She tries to push away the painful thoughts of her mother’s ageing, but the fear and sadness stay with her. This helps her avoid facing the harsh reality for a moment.
Also Read:
- Hard Words : My Mother at Sixty-six
- My Mother at Sixty Six About The Author
- My Mother at Sixty-Six Moral and Message
- My Mother at Sixty-Six Long Answer Type Question
6.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, what message does it convey about the relationship between a mother and daughter?
Answer: The poem shows the strong emotional bond between a mother and daughter. It highlights the daughter’s fear of losing her mother and the deep pain of watching a loved one grow old. The poem emphasises love, care, and the sadness of inevitable separation.
7.Question: How does the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six reflect the passage of time?
Answer: The poem reflects the passage of time by contrasting the poet’s ageing mother with the lively young trees and children outside. It highlights how time quickly passes, turning youth into old age, and shows the inevitable process of growing older.
8.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, what role does imagination play in the poet’s reaction to her mother’s ageing?
Answer: Imagination makes the poet’s fears stronger. She imagines her mother’s face as lifeless, like a corpse. This thought deepens her fear of losing her mother and makes the pain of seeing her age feel even more intense.
9.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, why does the poet feel a “familiar ache” when she looks at her mother?
Answer: The poet feels a “familiar ache” because seeing her mother’s ageing reminds her of the childhood fear of losing her. This ache reflects the deep emotional bond she shares with her mother and the pain of facing her mother’s fragility.
Also Read:
- My Mother at Sixty-Six MCQ with Answers
- My Mother at Sixty-Six Summary
- My Mother at Sixty-Six Theme
- My Mother at Sixty-Six Short Question Answers
- My Mother at Sixty-Six Introduction
10.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, how does the poet use the imagery of “sprinting trees” to convey her emotions?
Answer: The imagery of “sprinting trees” shows how fast life and time move. It contrasts with the poet’s fear and sadness about her mother’s ageing. While everything outside is full of energy, the poet feels emotional turmoil, reflecting the tension between youth and old age.
11.Question: In the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, what does the poet mean by “put that thought away” when she sees her mother’s ashen face?
Answer: When the poet says she “put that thought away,” she means she tried not to think about her mother’s ageing. She pushes away the fear of losing her. The poet avoids the painful thought, even though the fear is still there.
12.Question: In the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six,” how does the setting enhance its emotional impact?
Answer: The setting is a car ride to the airport. This makes the emotional impact stronger. It shows a journey and an upcoming separation. The poet looks at the world outside the car. This is different from how she feels inside. It makes her fear of losing her mother even more intense.
13.Question:In the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six,” in what ways does the poem explore the theme of separation?
Answer: The poem shows the theme of separation through the poet’s feelings as she gets ready to leave her mother at the airport. She feels the familiar pain of saying goodbye. This reminds her that separation is unavoidable as people grow old and face death.
14.Question: In the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six,” what does the poet’s observation of “merry children spilling out of their homes” symbolise?
Answer: The poet sees “merry children spilling out of their homes.” This symbolises life, energy, and the innocence of youth. This happy image is full of joy. It contrasts with the poet’s own fear and sadness. It shows the difference between the carefree nature of childhood and the realities of ageing.
15.Question: On the basis of the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six,” how does the poem relate to the universal experience of ageing?
Answer: The poem shows how ageing is a natural part of life. The poet feels sad seeing her mother grow old. These feelings are common as people watch their loved ones age. It reflects the universal truth of time passing for everyone.
16.Question: In the poem “My Mother at Sixty Six,” why do you think Kamala Das chooses to focus on her mother’s ageing during a car ride?
Answer: Kamala Das focuses on her mother’s ageing during the car ride because it’s a quiet time when she is close to her mother. The journey lets her notice the signs of ageing more deeply. Being together in the car makes her reflect on her mother’s growing old.
17. Question: What might the poet’s repeated smile indicate about her relationship with her mother?
Answer: The poet’s repeated smile shows she wants to comfort her mother. She also tries to comfort herself. It shows her wish to keep a positive bond with her mother, even when facing ageing and separation.
18. Question: Why does Kamala Das compare her mother’s face to a “corpse” and a “late winter’s moon”?
Answer: Kamala Das compares her mother’s face to a “corpse” and a “late winter’s moon” to show her mother’s weakness and old age. These images express the poet’s fear of losing her mother and the closeness of death.
19. Question: What could the “familiar ache” the poet feels suggest about her past experiences?
Answer: The “familiar ache” suggests the poet has felt this pain before. It could be linked to past moments when she feared losing her mother or realised her mother’s ageing. This feeling has likely returned many times in her life.
20. Question: Why might Kamala Das choose to look at the “young trees sprinting” outside instead of focusing on her mother?
Answer: Kamala Das looks at the “young trees sprinting” to avoid the pain of seeing her mother’s age. The lively scene outside helps her escape from her sad feelings for a while. It contrasts with the sorrow she feels inside.
21. Question: What could be the significance of the poet mentioning the “merry children spilling out of their homes”?
Answer:The mention of “merry children” shows the poet’s longing for her carefree childhood. It contrasts with her current worries about her mother. This highlights the difference between the innocence of youth and the fears of adulthood.
22. Question: Why does the poet end the poem with the word “smile” repeated three times?
Answer:The poet repeats the word “smile” three times to mask her deep emotions. She uses the smile to comfort both her mother and herself. Though she is filled with fear and sadness about her mother’s ageing, the smile is her way of showing strength and reassurance.
23. Question: What might the poet’s reflection on “young trees sprinting” reveal about her thoughts on time?
Answer: The poet’s reflection on “young trees sprinting” reveals her awareness of time’s quick pace. It symbolises how life moves rapidly, especially in contrast to her ageing mother, who is slowing down. The vibrant trees highlight the difference between youth’s speed and the stillness of old age.
24. Question: Why do you think the poet chose not to express her fear directly to her mother?
Answer:The poet might not express her fear to her mother to protect her from worry. She likely wants to keep her mother calm and avoid causing distress. By staying positive, the poet hides her fear, showing love and care through her silence.
25. Question: What could the “security check” at the airport symbolise in the poet’s emotional journey?
Answer: The “security check” could symbolise a turning point in the poet’s emotional journey. It marks the moment she must face the reality of leaving her mother. It represents the barrier between her wish to stay and the need to move on with her own life.
26. Question: How does the poem “My Mother at Sixty-Six” make you think about the way we value our time with loved ones?
Answer: The poem reminds us to cherish every moment with our loved ones. It shows that time is fleeting, and ageing is inevitable. This makes us think about the importance of being present and expressing love and care while we can.
27. Question: What lesson can we learn about facing difficult emotions from Kamala Das’s reaction to her mother’s ageing?
Answer:Kamala Das’s reaction shows that it’s normal to feel fear and sadness when dealing with difficult emotions, like a loved one ageing. It teaches us to accept these feelings while finding ways to cope, without letting them control or overwhelm us completely.
28. Question: How does the poet’s experience highlight the value of resilience in dealing with life’s challenges?
Answer:The poet’s experience shows that resilience is important in facing life’s challenges, like a loved one’s ageing. Despite her fear, Kamala Das smiles and moves forward, showing the strength to handle tough times while staying hopeful and positive.
29. Question: What does the poem suggest about the importance of understanding and accepting the realities of life?
Answer:The poem suggests that accepting life’s realities, like ageing and loss, is important for emotional well-being. It shows that facing these truths helps us live more fully and appreciate the present, rather than avoiding difficult emotions.
30. Question: How does the contrast between youth and old age in the poem encourage us to reflect on the different stages of life?
Answer: The contrast between youth and old age in the poem helps us reflect on life’s stages. It reminds us to appreciate the energy of youth and the wisdom of age. Both are important parts of life’s journey, showing the beauty of each stage as we grow.
31. Question: How does the poem “My Mother at Sixty-Six” make us think about the inevitability of change in life?
Answer: The poem makes us think about how change, like ageing, is inevitable in life. It reminds us that everything changes with time, and we must learn to accept these changes instead of resisting them. This understanding helps us adapt and move forward.
32. Question: In what ways does the poem encourage us to think about the balance between holding on and letting go?
Answer: The poem makes us think about balancing holding on to loved ones and letting go as time moves forward. It shows that while it’s natural to want to hold on, we must also accept and be ready to let go when necessary.
33. Question: How does the poet’s experience of seeing her mother’s ageing prompt us to reflect on our own perceptions of ageing?
Answer:The poet’s experience makes us reflect on how we view ageing, both in others and ourselves. It encourages us to think about our fears and acceptance of growing older, and how we emotionally deal with the ageing process.
34. Question: What does the poem suggest about the importance of expressing our feelings to those we care about?
Answer:The poem suggests that expressing our feelings to those we care about is important because time passes quickly. It reminds us that holding back emotions could lead to regret, and we should share our love and appreciation while we still have the chance.
35. Question: How does the poem “My Mother at Sixty-Six” inspire us to think about the emotional strength required to face life’s inevitable losses?
Answer:The poem inspires us to reflect on the emotional strength needed to face life’s inevitable losses, like ageing and losing loved ones. It teaches us that while these moments are painful, they build resilience and remind us to cherish the time we have with those we love.
36. Question: How does the simile “her face ashen like that of a corpse” deepen the emotional impact of the poem?
Answer: The simile “her face ashen like that of a corpse” intensifies the poet’s fear and sadness by vividly conveying her mother’s frailty. This comparison makes the reader feel the poet’s deep concern and brings to life the painful reality of ageing and mortality.
37. Question: Why does the poet use the metaphor “late winter’s moon” to describe her mother’s face, and what does it symbolise?
Answer:The metaphor “late winter’s moon” symbolises the fading vitality of the poet’s mother and the coldness of old age. By comparing her mother’s face to the pale, dim moon, the poet expresses a sense of loss and the unavoidable passage of time.
38. Question: What is the effect of personifying the trees as “sprinting” in the poem, and how does it contrast with the poet’s emotions?
Answer:By personifying the trees as “sprinting,” the poet creates a lively, energetic image that contrasts with her feelings of fear and sadness. This contrast emphasises her inner struggle, as the world around her feels full of life while she faces the painful reality of her mother’s ageing.
39. Question: How does the poet’s use of imagery, like “merry children spilling out of their homes,” enhance the theme of youth versus old age?
Answer: The imagery of “merry children spilling out of their homes” enhances the theme of youth versus old age by contrasting the energy of youth with the frailty of the poet’s ageing mother. It highlights the different stages of life, reminding us of the inevitable cycle of ageing.
40. Question: How does the repetition of the word “smile” at the end of the poem function as a poetic device, and what does it convey?
Answer: The repetition of “smile” works as a poetic device to highlight the poet’s effort to hide her real feelings. It conveys her struggle to stay calm and comfort her mother, even though she feels deep fear and sadness. This makes the reader reflect on the complexity of emotions.
Note- Following are the old types of questions that were asked till 2023. These focus more on memory instead of assumption and extrapolation. These are still useful.
1. Why are the young trees described as sprinting?
Answer- The young trees are personified in the poem. They seem to be running in the opposite direction when seen through the window of the moving car. The movement is juxtaposed with the expression on the mother’s face i.e. ashen like a corpse.
2. Why has the narrator brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
Answer- The narrator highlights the helplessness and frailty of old age with the help of contrasts. The listless mother dozes off open-mouthed, whereas the children spill out of their homes signifying movement and energy, which the old people are bereft of. The image of the children spilling out of their homes and trees sprinting provides a contrast to the lack of vitality in the mother.
3. Why has the mother been compared to ‘late winter’s moon’?
Answer. The mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon which is dull and shrouded. It symbolises the ebbing away of life. The moon brings to the narrator’s mind, the night or the approaching end of life.
4. What childhood fears do you think the narrator is referring to in the poem ‘My Mother at Sixty Six’?
Answer. The narrator refers to the fears a child has of losing a parent or getting lost somewhere and thus getting separated from them or even one’s own process of ageing. The narrator felt this kind of fear while looking at her mother’s aged and pale face. She was afraid that she might never see her alive again.
5. What does the narrator mean by ‘all I did was smile and smile and smile’?
Ans. The narrator realises the pain and aches she would feel at separating from her mother. It was her childhood fear that she was experiencing once again. She was trying to hide her true emotions from herself and her mother by smiling and smiling.
6. What is the narrator’s familiar ache and why does it return?
Ans. The narrator is pained to see her mother old and pale. This arouses the ‘familiar ache’ in her heart which she used to experience in her childhood.
7. Why does the narrator smile and what does she say while bidding goodbye to her mother?
Ans. The narrator smiles in order to put up a brave front so that her mother does not observe her pained and frightened look. She smiles in order to reassure her mother and says that she would see her again soon.
8. What poetic devices has the poet used in ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Ans. The poem is rich in imagery. Devices of comparisons and contrasts are also used by the poet to draw out the difference between youth and old age. She describes the mother’s face using similes ‘ashen like a corpse’, and ‘late winter’s moon’. The merry children playing happily are contrasted with the old, weak and pale mother.
9. Why are the youngsters described as springing? (My Mother at Sixty-six)
Ans. The poetess is in the car on her way home to the Cochin airport. She looks outside some young children were running and playing. The poetess seems to contrasts her ageing mother with the youngsters’ full of life.
10. Why does Kamala Das compare her mother to ‘a pale winter’s moon’?
Ans. The late winter’s moon is calm and hazy with a dim lustre; it loses its vitality and power. So the poetess compares her mother’s calm, colourless and withered face to the late winter’s moon. She has become weak and was due to her age of sixty-six.
11. Having looked at her mother, why does Kamala Das look at the young children?
Ans. While driving her car, the mother was sitting with her. She was dozing with mouth open. Her face was pale and ashen. She looked like a corpse. She was deeply depressed and pain started troubling her mind. In order to put these troubled thoughts away, she looked at the outside world which was full of life, activity and energy. This distraction made her feel happy.
12. What was Kamala Das’s childhood fear?
Ans. After seeing her mother at sixty-six in a pale like a corpse face, her childhood fear of separation from her mother returns. She is deeply pained lest she should not find her mother alive after her return. These thoughts are painful and distressing to her.
13. In the last line of the poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’, why does the poet use the word ‘smile’ repeatedly?
Ans. In the last line, the poet repeats the word ‘smile’. This repetition brings out the poet’s need to hide her pain from the mother and even herself and to pretend that all was well and they would meet again. The smile heightens the contrast between her inner pain and outward behaviour.
14. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?
Ans. In order to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother, the poetess started looking out of the window of the car at young trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes.
15. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of these home’? [Textual)
Ans. The image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their home’ is to suggest the idea of youth and beauty in contrast to the ashen-like pale wan face of her ageing mother. This image emphasises the fact that the old mother has lost the vitality, energy, charm, beauty and youth.
16. Why has the mother been compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans. The mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon as she is very old and her face is ashen, pale and withered. She looks very dull and lifeless like the late winter’s moon.
17. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans. The parting words express the poet’s optimism. These words console the mother that she would soon visit her again. She smiles to conceal her fear and pain of separation from her mother and gives her ageing mother an assurance of survival.
18. What was Kamala Das afraid of as a child? Why do they surface when she is going to the airport?
Ans. As a child, the poet always had a fear of getting separated from her mother. There was a sense of insecurity and fear of losing her mother. The childhood fear reappeared when, while going to the airport, she looked at the pale and withered face of her mother and realised that her mother was ageing and she might lose her soon.