Class 12 English — Chapter 9: My Mother at Sixty-six

What you'll learn

• ▸Theme of Ageing and Fear of Separation
• ▸Imagery of Decay and Frailty
• ▸Contrast Between Youth and Old Age
• ▸The Facade of Parting Words
• ▸Analysis of Poetic Devices
• ▸Poetic Structure: The Single Sentence
• ▸Context of the Poet: Kamala Das

Chapter Summary

--- PAGE 1 --- POETRY My Mother at Sixty-six Kamala Das Keeping Quiet Pablo Neruda A Thing of Beauty John Keats A Roadside Stand Robert Frost Aunt Jennifer's Tigers Adrienne Rich © Not to be republished Reprint 2025-26 --- PAGE 2 --- 12074CH09 1 My Mother at Sixty-six About the poet Kamala Das (1934-2009) was born in Malabar, Kerala. She is recognised as one of India's foremost poets. Her works are known for their originality, versatility and the indigenous flavour of the soil. Kamala Das has published many novels and short stories in English and Malayalam under the name 'Madhavikutty'. In addition to five books of poetry. She is a sensitive writer who captures the complex subtleties of human relationships in lyrical idiom, My Mother at Sixty-six is an example. Before you read Ageing is a natural process; have you ever thought what our elderly parents expect from us? Driving from my parent's …

Practice Questions from this Chapter

Tap "Get Solution" on any question to ask our AI tutor.

1. Explore the fear of loss. Get Solution →
2. Describe aging's physical signs. Get Solution →
3. Discuss mother-child relationships. Get Solution →
4. What is the name of the poet who wrote 'My Mother at Sixty-six'? Get Solution →
5. Where was the poet driving to from her parent's home? Get Solution →
6. What was the poet's mother doing in the car beside her? Get Solution →
7. The poet describes her mother's face as 'ashen like that of a' what? Get Solution →
8. What did the poet see outside the car window? Get Solution →

Did you know?

• 💡 An octopus mother stops eating to guard her eggs, often dying after they hatch.
• 💡 Your skin naturally loses elasticity and thins as you grow older.
• 💡 Some jellyfish species can reverse their aging process, becoming young again.
• 💡 The human brain continues developing until your mid-20s, then slowly starts to shrink.
• 💡 Holding hands with a loved one can actually reduce feelings of physical pain.

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