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My Mother at Sixty-Six Theme

                                              By- Kamala Das

‘My Mother at Sixty Six’ captures the fear of the narrator of losing her mother due to declining health and loss of energy that accompanies old age. The poet accepts this reality and is disturbed by her mother’s need for her on one hand and her own duties and responsibilities on the other hand. This helplessness is poignantly brought out in this poem. The emotions experienced by the poet are essentially universal in nature. The fear of losing a loved one is a theme the reader can identify with. Form This poem is in the form of a narrative of fourteen lines written as a single sentence. This is called enjambment. The poem is written in a single sentence punctuated by commas. This highlights the stream of consciousness effect where one thought leads to another.

My Mother at Sixty-Six Theme (2) :

My Mother at Sixty-six is based on the theme of advancing age and the fear of loss and separation associated with it. The poetess undergoes a plethora of emotions when she sees her mother ageing, and feels the pangs of separation at the thought of losing her. She must be feeling guilty of not being able to stay with her mother in her old age. She also wishes for the lost beauty and youth of her mother. The poem is written in a single sentence which indicates the single thread of thought, i.e. the loss of beauty and charm and approaching death and decay.

My Mother at Sixty Six Title

The title is apt as the poem is about the narrator’s realization that time has flown by and old age has crept up on her mother. The poem revolves around the theme of advancing age, the fear associated with it, and loss and separation.