Cochin Airport

Loss of memoryGreen BirthActivity Ashen faceGrandparents SprintingWan EnergeticLively DeathPale CheerfulGames DozeMerry CorpseGrey

Old age Youth Old age Youth GrandparentsCheerful GreyGreen DeathBirth Loss of memoryGames DozeActivity Ashen faceEnergetic CorpseLively PaleMerry WanSprinting

MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX BY KAMALA DAS (Group I)

KAMALA DAS Kamala Das was born in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur District in Kerala, on March 31, 1934, to V. M. Nair, a former managing editor of the widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, and Nalappatt Balamani Amma, a renowned Malayali poetess. Kamala Das was born in Punnayurkulam, Thrissur District in Kerala, on March 31, 1934, to V. M. Nair, a former managing editor of the widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, and Nalappatt Balamani Amma, a renowned Malayali poetess.PunnayurkulamThrissur DistrictKeralaeditorMathrubhumiNalappatt Balamani AmmaMalayaliPunnayurkulamThrissur DistrictKeralaeditorMathrubhumiNalappatt Balamani AmmaMalayali On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune. Her body was flown to her home state of Kerala. She was buried at the PalayamJuma Masjid at Thiruvanathapuram with full state honour. On 31 May 2009, aged 75, she died at a hospital in Pune. Her body was flown to her home state of Kerala. She was buried at the PalayamJuma Masjid at Thiruvanathapuram with full state honour.PunePalayamThiruvanathapuramPunePalayamThiruvanathapuram She adopted the name Kamala Surraiah after she embraced Islam. She adopted the name Kamala Surraiah after she embraced Islam.

CAREER Das' first book, Summer In Calcutta was a promising start. She wrote chiefly of love, its betrayal, and the consequent anguish. Das' first book, Summer In Calcutta was a promising start. She wrote chiefly of love, its betrayal, and the consequent anguish. At the age of 42, she published her autobiography, My Story, which was later translated into many foreign languages At the age of 42, she published her autobiography, My Story, which was later translated into many foreign languages Kamala Das wrote on a diverse range of topics, often disparate- from the story of a poor old servant, about the sexual disposition of upper middle class women living near a metropolitan city or in the middle of the ghetto. Kamala Das wrote on a diverse range of topics, often disparate- from the story of a poor old servant, about the sexual disposition of upper middle class women living near a metropolitan city or in the middle of the ghetto.

Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday morning Kamala Das had gone to her parent’s house. She is now going to Cochin Airport from where she had to board an airplane for her journey back home.

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, The poetess describes her mother as old and pale The poetess describes her mother as old and pale She looked almost like a corpse, her face was colourless and seemed to have lost the fervour of life She looked almost like a corpse, her face was colourless and seemed to have lost the fervour of life

...and looked out at young trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes To drive away the pain and agony Kamala Das looked out of the window To drive away the pain and agony Kamala Das looked out of the window Trees symbolise life and growth Trees symbolise life and growth Children are symbolic of youth, vitality, vigour, life and growth Children are symbolic of youth, vitality, vigour, life and growth

I looked again at her, wan, pale as a late winter’s moon… Poet’s mother was aged and hence looked pale and colourless like a late winter’s moon. Poet’s mother was aged and hence looked pale and colourless like a late winter’s moon. Winter’s moon lacks luster and brightness similarly mothers face has lost radiance and is now misted by age Winter’s moon lacks luster and brightness similarly mothers face has lost radiance and is now misted by age The winters moon that appears at the end of the year also symbolizes the ebbing state of the mother’s life The winters moon that appears at the end of the year also symbolizes the ebbing state of the mother’s life

...felt that old familiar ache, my childhood fear Familiar ache refers to the ache of helplessness; the pain of separation that arises at the thought of mother’s death. Familiar ache refers to the ache of helplessness; the pain of separation that arises at the thought of mother’s death. Childhood fear refers to the fear of losing her mother, getting separated from her or that death would consume her mother Childhood fear refers to the fear of losing her mother, getting separated from her or that death would consume her mother

…but all I said was, see you soon, Amma, all I did was smile and smile and smile…… Kamala Das bids a formal adieu to her mother with the hope of seeing her soon. Kamala Das bids a formal adieu to her mother with the hope of seeing her soon. She smiles only to hide her anxiety and fear of the unknown. She smiles only to hide her anxiety and fear of the unknown. She also wants to bid a cheerful farewell to her mother before she boards the flight. She also wants to bid a cheerful farewell to her mother before she boards the flight. The poetess tries to put up a brave front in order to hide her true feelings of pain at seeing her old and weak mother. The poetess tries to put up a brave front in order to hide her true feelings of pain at seeing her old and weak mother. Her smile also reflects her optimism. Her smile also reflects her optimism.

A simile is a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word “like” or “as”.a figure of speech  Sleeping like a log  My Love is like a red, red rose (Robert Burns)  Idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean (S. T. Coleridge) Examples from the poem:  Like that of a corpse  As a late winter’s moon

Repetition is the repeated occurrence of a word in the same line.  Smile and smile and smile Contrast  her face like that of a corpse/ trees sprinting, the merry children playing  Old age/ youth

Home Assignment The poet titled the poem as “ My Mother at Sixty Six”. All of us know that life expectancy was around 66 those days. What is the position now? Discuss the reasons for it. Hints :  development in the field of medicine and technology  Awareness of benefits of exercise  Desire to live long OR In groups prepare greeting cards to be sent to your mother who is in her late sixties.