1. What kind of pain and suffering does the poet feel? (2014)
Ans: Looking at the face of his old pale mother and ashes the poet felt great pain and his heart ached. This pain had been excruciating since childhood and was feared by the mother.
2. Why are Small Trees described as 'running'?
Ans: Small trees are described as 'running' because the poet and his mother were driving and the trees were flying backwards. The poet's childhood was as fleeting as it was, which his mother worried about.
3. Why did the poet bring the image of happy children scattered throughout their homes? (2013,16)
Ans: When the poet was driving to Cochin Airport he was saddened to see his old mother asleep and open her mouth sitting next to him. His face was pale and gray like a corpse. To put that sad idea in perspective, the poet who paints a picture of happy children 'coming out of their houses' symbolizes youthful vigor and vigor that is in stark contrast with the depraved state of the corpse inside a car.
4. Why is the mother likened to a ‘winter moon’? (2012,15,17,20)
Ans: The poet likens his pale, emaciated old mother's face to the winter moon because the moon in winter is shrouded in mist and seems to be losing its light. Her mother's face is also like a winter moon without light and light.
5. What do the poet's farewell words and smiles mean? (2019)
Answers: Farewell words "We'll see you soon, Amma", give a health guarantee to an old and frail wife. The mother 'ashen face' is like a corpse. Likewise the poet is always smiling and trying to overcome the pain of fear in his heart and reassuring the old woman that they will meet soon.
1. “driving to my parent
at home in Cochin last Friday
in the morning I saw my mother,
next to me he fell asleep, opening his mouth, himself
the face of ashes like the corpse ... "(2012,19)
(i) Where did the poet call?
Ans: He was driving from his parents' home to Cochin Airport.
(ii) what did he notice when his mother was sitting next to him?
Ans: He saw his mother sitting next to him. He was asleep with his mouth open.
(iii) Find words in the passage that mean 'sleep less' and 'dead body'.
Answer: Sleep a little - Doze
Dead Body - A corpse
(iv) Why did the mother's face resemble that of a corpse?
Ans: The poet's mother's face is like a corpse because of her mother's pale face, sleep and aging.
2. Why is mother look like a “winter moon”? (2012,15,17,20)
Ans: The poet likens the pale, wrinkled face of his old mother to the winter solstice because the moon in winter is shrouded in mist and seems to be losing its light. Her mother's face is like a winter moon without light.
3. Why did the poet bring the image of happy children scattered throughout their homes? (2013,16)
Ans: When the poet was driving to Cochin Airport he was saddened to see his old mother asleep and open her mouth sitting next to him. His face was pale and gray like a corpse. To put that sad idea in mind, the poet who paints a picture of exultant children 'coming out of their houses' symbolizes youthful vigor and vigor that is in stark contrast with the deplorable condition of a dead body inside a car.
4. "But at the airport Check for safety, standing a few yards from,
................ all I can do is smile and smile and smile .. (2014)
(i) What does the speaker do after the security guard has been tested?
Answers: After a security check, the poet stood in a few yards and looked at his mother's face.
(ii) Why did the poet liken his mother's face to the winter moon?
Ans: The poet likens the pale, wrinkled face of his old mother to the winter solstice because the moon in winter is shrouded in mist and seems to be losing its light. Her mother's face is like a winter moon without light.
(iii) What was the poet of child fear?
Ans: The poet's fear was the fear of death and decay when one began to grow old. Aging and decay are nothing.
5. "But you quickly dismissed the idea and looked at the younger ones
Trees run, happy children come out of their homes "(2014)
(i) Who were watching the small trees?
Answers: The poet, Kamala Das, looked at the small trees.
(ii) What point did the speaker make?
Answer: The speaker tried to dissuade her from thinking that her mother was as old as she was.
(iii) What do small running trees mean? (2020)
Answers: Running trees symbolized youth and vigor.
(iv) What did the poet see the children doing?
Answer: The poet saw happy children scattered in their homes.
6. What kind of pain and suffering does the poet feel? (2014)
Ans: Looking at the face of his old pale mother and ashes the poet felt great pain and his heart ached. This pain had been excruciating since childhood and was feared by the mother.
7. Explain the statement: "I saw my mother ... her face was like a corpse". (2014,19)
Answers: This line is taken from the poem "My Mother at Sixty-Six". In these lines, the poet describes his elderly mother the day he flew to Cochin airport. Her mother was sitting next to her in the car. She saw him fall asleep and open his mouth. His face was ashes as a corpse. He was really pale and looked very old. The poet felt great pain and his old fear of losing his mother returned.
8. ".... and I felt that old normal pain, my childhood fears,
but what I said was, I'll see you soon, amma,
all I did was smile and smile ... ". (2015)
(i) What childhood fears were troubling the poet?
Answers: Fear of the poet in childhood was the fear of death and decay when one begins to grow old. Aging and decay are nothing.
(ii) What do the poet's farewell words imply? (2019)
Answers: The poet's farewell words express both hope and fear. At sixty-six anything can happen to a mother. But she is hiding her real fears. She assures her mother that they will soon be reunited with their smiles.
(iii) Why does the poet smile?
Answers: The mother's body language was a source of concern to the poet. But he had to hide his true feelings from his mother. He just smiled and smiled to assure them they would meet soon.
9. What do the small running trees mean? (2020)
Answers: Running trees symbolized youth and vigor. If you look at a speeding car the little trees outside seemed to be running backwards.
10. What do the “happy children who are scattered about in their houses” symbolize? (2018)
Answers: 'Happy children who are scattered and coming out of their houses' symbolize youth and vigor.