What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
Ans: When the poet sees the pale and corpse-like face of her mother, her old familiar pain or
the ache returns. Perhaps she has entertained this fear since her childhood. Ageing is a natural
process. Time and ageing spare none. Time and ageing have not spared the poet’s mother and
may not spare her as well. With this ageing, separation and death become inevitable.
Q2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
Ans: The poet is driving to the Cochin airport. When she looks outside, the young trees seem to
be walking past them. With the speed of the car they seem to be running fast or sprinting. The
poet presents a contrast—her ‘dozing’ old mother and the ‘sprinting’ young trees.
Q3. Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ ?
Ans: The poet has brought in the image of merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’ to present
a contrast. The merry children coming out of their homes in large numbers present an image of
happiness and spontaneous overflow of life. This image is in stark contrast to the ‘dozing’ old
mother, whose ‘ashen’ face looks lifeless and pale like a corpse. She is an image of ageing,
decay and passivity. The contrast of the two images enhances the poetic effect.
Q4. Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. Her shrunken ‘ashen’ face resembles a corpse.
She has lost her shine and strength of youth. Similarly the late winter’s moon looks hazy and
obscure. It too lacks shine and strength. The comparison is quite natural and appropriate. The
simile used here is apt as well as effective.
Q5. What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
Ans: The poet’s parting words of assurance and her smiles provide a stark contrast to the old
familiar ache or fear of the childhood. Her words and smiles are a deliberate attempt to hide her
real feelings. The parting words: “See you soon, Amma” give an assurance to the old lady
whose ‘ashen face’ looks like a corpse. Similarly, her continuous smiles are an attempt to
overcome the ache and fear inside her heart.
MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 words)
Q1. Where was the poet going and who was with her?
Ans: The poet was driving from her parent’s home to the Cochin airport. The poet’s mother had
comfe to see her off. She was sitting beside her. She was dozing with her mouth open. The
words ‘driving’ and ‘doze’ provide a contrast between images of dynamic activity and static
passivity respectively.
Q2. What was the poet’s childhood fear? [All India 2014]
Ans: The child is always in fear of being separated from his parents. In the same way, the poet’s
fear as a child was that of losing her mother or her company.
Q3. What does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify
her ageing decay?
Ans: The poet’s mother is sixty-six years old. She is sitting beside the poet and dozing with her
mouth open. This is a sign of old age. Usually old people keep their mouth open to overcome
breathing problems. Her face looked pale and faded like ash. Actually, she is an image of death
as her ‘ashen’ face looks like that of a corpse.
Q4. What does the poet realise with pain? Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and look
outside?
Ans: The lifeless and faded face of the poet’s mother pains her heart. She looks lifeless like a
corpse. She provides an image of passivity, decay and death. The old lady seems to be lost in
her thoughts. The poet needs a distraction, a change. She puts that thought away and looks
outside. There she gets a picture of life, happiness and activity.
Q5. Describe the world inside the car and compare it to the activities taking place outside?
Ans: The pale and faded face of the poet’s mother looks lifeless like a corpse. Her dozing with
mouth wide open suggests passivity, decay and death. Outside the car, the poet watches young
trees speeding past them. They seem to be running fast or sprinting. Happy children are moving
out of their homes cheerfully. They present an image of life, dynamism and activity.
Q6. Why does the poet look outside? What does she see happening outside?
Ans: The thought of the ageing mother at sixty-six and her pale and ashen face looking like a
corpse becomes too heavy for the poet to bear. She needs a distraction, a diversion and
therefore she looks outside. She watches young trees. These trees speed past them and
appear to be sprinting. Then she sees happy children moving out of their houses and making
merry.
Q7. How has the poet contrasted the scene inside the car with the activities going on outside?
Ans: The poet has used beautiful images to highlight the stark contrast between the scene
inside the car and the activities going on outside. The ‘ashen’ face of the poet’s mother is pale
and lifeless. It looks like that of a corpse. She is dozing and lost to herself. The image of the
‘dozing’ mother is contrasted with the ‘spilling’ of children. The ‘ashen’ and ‘corpse¬like’ face is
contrasted with the young trees sprinting outside.
Q8. What does the poet do after the security check-up? What does she notice?
Ans: They have to pass through a security check-up at the airport. After it, the poet stands a few
yards away. Before saying parting words to her mother, she looks at her mother again. Her face
looks pale and colourless like the late winter’s moon. She presents a picture of ageing and
decay.
Q9. Why is the poet’s mother compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans: The poet’s mother has been compared to the late winter’s moon to bring out the similarity
of ageing and decay. The late winter moon looks hazy and obscure. It lacks shine and strength.
The poet’s mother has an ‘ashen’ face resembling a corpse. She has lost her shine and strength
of youth. The comparison reinforces the impact.
Q10. What is the poet’s familiar ache and why does it return?
Ans: The poet is pained at the ageing and decaying of her mother. The fear is that with ageing
comes decay and death. The sight of her old mother’s ‘ashen’ and corpse-like face arouses
“that old familiar ache” in her heart. Her childhood fear returns. She is also pained and
frightened by the idea that she may have to face all these things herself.
Q11. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother?[All India 2014]
Ans: Kamala Das was in much trouble after seeing the lifeless and faded face of her mother.
The old lady seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. The poetess turned away her attention from
her mother and looked outside. The outside world was full of life and activity. The young trees
seemed to be running fast. The children looked happy while moving out of their homes.
Q12. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding good bye to her mother ?
OR
With fear and ache inside her heart and words of assurance on lips and smile on the face, the
poet presents two opposite and contrasting experiences. Why does the poet put on a smile?
Ans: The ‘wan’, ‘pale’, face of the poet’s mother at sixty-six brings an image of decay and death.
It brings that old familiar fear of separation back.But She utters the words of assurance that they
will meet again soon. She tries to hide her ache and fear by smiling continuously.
Q13. 7.
What helped Kamala Das put away the thought of her mother’s old age? (Comptt. All India
2010)
Answer:
The poet started looking out of the window because she wanted to drive away the pain and
agony she was experiencing by looking at her aged mother. She looked outside at the world
which was full of life and activity. She saw young trees running past her and merry children
sprinting out of their homes to play
Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’? (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
The young trees are ‘sprinting’ that is rushing past the poet as she is travelling in a very fast-
moving car. While travelling in a speeding vehicle, the objects outside appear to be rushing past
us in the opposite direction. These sprinting trees are in stark contrast to the passive old lady
sitting inside the car
