My Mother at Sixty Six (Introduction)

Kamala Das is an Indian writer in English. She wrote lots of confessional poems expressing the experiences of being an Indian woman. The poet wrote under the pen name, Madhavikutty. Some of her popular works include ‘An Introduction,’ ‘A Hot Noon in Malabar,’ and ‘My Grandmother’s House’. She writes in a matter-of-fact tone and her honesty and boldness in expressing her thoughts often keep her critics and readers spellbound. Kamala Das has written poems, short stories, memoirs, and novels as well. “The Times” had called her the Mother of Modern English Indian Poetry.

‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ is a poem that confesses a daughter’s fear of losing her mother. Firstly, the daughter, that is the poet, is surprised to realize that her mother is aging. Secondly, she notices how the rest of the world appears young and energetic. This is in contrast to her mother who continues to age. Thirdly, the poet expresses her apprehension over losing her mother if the old woman dies. Finally, the poet says how she hides her true feelings and smiles outwardly. She wishes to show her love for her mother.

The poet is the confessor of feelings in this poem. She describes her feelings for her mother while traveling in a car. It is during one of her visits to her mother’s place. The poet looks at her mother’s face and realizes that her mother had grown old. She is disturbed by the fact that her mother may soon die of old age. She becomes emotional and tries to distract herself by looking out at the passing scenery. The poet records the contrasting nature of the scenery: there are young trees and playing children. They represent the freshness and youth of what is on earth, while her mother looks old and frail.

In the final part of the poem, the poet expresses her fear of losing her mother to death. Even as a young girl, the poet had similar feelings and fears. She was so afraid of losing her mother that she would never leave her for a moment. The poet, even as a grown-up daughter, experiences a similar emotion. However, she can hide her fears. She smiles at her mother. She tries to express her love and affection to her aging mother, as the poet bids goodbye.