NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English (Flamingo) Poem 1: My Mother at Sixty-six (NCERT 2026–27)
Complete solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Poem 1 – “My Mother at Sixty-six” by Kamala Das: an original summary, the central theme and message, key word meanings, and every Think it out question answered fully in exam-ready language. The textbook questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT Flamingo book; the explanations and answers are written originally by ClearStudy, quoting only short phrases from the poem.
About the poet
Kamala Das (1934–2009) was born in Malabar, Kerala, and is recognised as one of India’s foremost modern poets. She wrote in English as well as in Malayalam, where she published novels and short stories under the pen name ‘Madhavikutty’. Her work is admired for its honesty, originality and strong indigenous flavour. A sensitive writer, she captures the complex subtleties of human relationships in a lyrical, conversational idiom. “My Mother at Sixty-six” is a fine example of her ability to turn an ordinary, everyday moment into a deeply moving meditation on love, ageing and loss.
Summary
The poem records a brief, intensely personal moment from the poet’s life. On a Friday morning, she is driving from her parents’ home to the Cochin airport, with her elderly mother sitting beside her. Glancing at her mother, who has dozed off with her mouth open, the poet is struck by how pale and lifeless her face looks – almost “ashen like that of a corpse.” This sudden image forces her to realise, with a sharp pang of pain, that her mother is now genuinely old and approaching the end of life.
Unable to bear this painful thought, the poet deliberately turns her attention outside the car window. There she sees a world full of energy and life: young trees seem to be “sprinting” past, and “merry children” come “spilling out of their homes.” This vibrant outer scene is set in deliberate contrast to her frail, ageing mother inside the car, deepening the sense of how fragile her mother has become.
After the airport security check, standing a short distance away, the poet looks at her mother once more. Her mother now appears “wan, pale as a late winter’s moon,” and the old “familiar ache” and “childhood’s fear” of losing her return. Yet, hiding her inner anguish, the poet says only the cheerful, ordinary parting words “see you soon, Amma,” and forces a brave, reassuring smile – smiling again and again to comfort both her mother and herself, while the deep fear of separation remains unspoken inside her.
Theme & message
The central theme of the poem is the universal fear of losing one’s ageing parents and the pain of separation that comes with growing old. Kamala Das explores the deep bond between a mother and a daughter, the inevitability of ageing and death, and the way we often hide our deepest fears behind a brave face. The poem also contrasts youth and life (sprinting trees, merry children) with old age and decay (the corpse-like, moon-pale mother). Its quiet message is that love is often expressed not in dramatic words but in small, restrained gestures – a familiar word and a reassuring smile – that carry an ocean of feeling beneath them.
Word meanings
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| doze | to sleep lightly for a short time |
| ashen | extremely pale, grey like ash |
| corpse | a dead body |
| realised | understood or became aware of |
| sprinting | running a short, fast race; here, trees seem to rush past |
| merry | cheerful, full of joy |
| spilling | coming out in large numbers (here, children pouring out) |
| security check | inspection of passengers at the airport |
| wan | pale, colourless, looking weak or tired |
| late winter’s moon | a dim, faint, lifeless moon – image of old age |
| ache | a continuous, dull pain (here, emotional pain) |
| familiar | well known, often experienced |
| childhood’s fear | the old fear of losing or being separated from one’s mother |
| Amma | ‘mother’ (an affectionate South Indian term) |
| parting words | words said while taking leave / saying goodbye |
Think it out
The five questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Flamingo textbook; all answers are written originally.
1. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Extra questions
Short answer
1. Where was the poet going and who was with her?
2. How did the poet’s mother look when she was dozing in the car?
3. What did the poet do after the painful realisation struck her?
4. What is significant about the poem being a single sentence?
5. Why does the poet smile again and again at the end?
Long answer
6. How does Kamala Das use contrast in “My Mother at Sixty-six” to bring out the theme of ageing?
7. Discuss how the bond between mother and daughter is portrayed in the poem.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. Who is the poet of “My Mother at Sixty-six”?
(a) Pablo Neruda (b) Kamala Das (c) John Keats (d) Adrienne Rich
2. The poet was driving to which place?
(a) Her village (b) Her office (c) Cochin airport (d) A hospital
3. The mother’s dozing face is compared to that of a:
(a) sleeping child (b) corpse (c) statue (d) flower
4. The young trees outside the car are described as:
(a) standing still (b) sprinting (c) drooping (d) dancing
5. The merry children are seen:
(a) playing in a park (b) going to school (c) spilling out of their homes (d) sitting quietly
6. The mother is compared to a “late winter’s moon” because she looks:
(a) bright and warm (b) pale and lifeless (c) round and full (d) cheerful
7. What were the poet’s parting words to her mother?
(a) “Goodbye, Amma” (b) “Take care, Amma” (c) “See you soon, Amma” (d) “I love you, Amma”
8. The poet’s repeated smile at the end mainly suggests:
(a) genuine happiness (b) a brave mask hiding her fear (c) tiredness (d) sarcasm
9. The “ache” the poet feels is best described as:
(a) a physical headache (b) the fear of losing her ageing mother (c) tiredness from driving (d) hunger
10. A notable feature of the poem’s form is that it is:
(a) written in rhyming couplets (b) a single sentence punctuated by commas (c) divided into four stanzas (d) a sonnet
Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.
1. Assertion (A): The poet feels a deep pain on looking at her mother in the car.
Reason (R): She realises that her mother has grown old and may soon die.
2. Assertion (A): The poet looks out at sprinting trees and merry children.
Reason (R): She wants to distract herself from the painful thought of her mother’s ageing.
3. Assertion (A): The mother is compared to a “late winter’s moon.”
Reason (R): The comparison shows that the mother looks pale, dim and lifeless in her old age.
4. Assertion (A): The poet hides her real feelings behind her parting smile.
Reason (R): She does not want to alarm or worry her ageing mother.
5. Assertion (A): The poem expresses the universal fear of losing one’s parents.
Reason (R): The poet’s “childhood’s fear” returns as a “familiar ache” while parting from her mother.
Exam tips
Score full marks on this poem
• Always mention the two key similes – the mother’s face “ashen like that of a corpse” and “pale as a late winter’s moon” – when asked about imagery or old age.
• Remember the central technique is contrast: ageing mother (inside) vs. youthful trees and children (outside).
• For the parting smile, use words like “reassurance,” “brave mask” and “hidden fear” to fetch full marks.
• Note the form point examiners love: the poem is one continuous sentence, suggesting an unbroken flow of anxious thought.
• Quote only short phrases in answers; do not copy out long stretches of the poem.
FAQs
What is the main theme of “My Mother at Sixty-six”?
The main theme is the pain of ageing and the universal fear of losing one’s elderly parents, explored through the loving bond between a daughter and her sixty-six-year-old mother.
Why is the mother compared to a “late winter’s moon”?
Because she looks dim, pale and lifeless, like a faint winter moon that has lost its brightness and warmth – an image of old age and approaching death.
What do the poet’s words “see you soon, Amma” and her smile signify?
They signify her attempt to reassure her mother and hide her own fear of separation. The cheerful words and repeated smile act as a brave mask over her inner ache.
The Think it out questions are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Flamingo textbook; the summary, explanations and answers are written originally by ClearStudy.