Poem “My Mother at Sixty-Six” – ‘Extract-based Questions and Competency Focused Questions from Previous Years’ CBSE Class 12 Board Exams These questions are invaluable for preparing extract-based questions and competency-focused questions, such as multiple-choice questions and statement-based questions. Click here for additional study resources.
Extract Based Questions & CFQs: PYQs
Directions: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
Poem Extract – CBSE (2023-2024)
…but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, but after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear, (CBSE 2024)
(a) Select the correct option.
The impact of ‘merry children’ on poet’s mind ………… .
- (i) caused anxiety
- (ii) created a sense of longing
- (iii) brought comfort
- (iv) reminded her of her own childhood
Answer: (iii) brought comfort
(b) The tone of the poet expressed in the above lines is:
- (i) sadness and helplessness
- (ii) excitement and eagerness
- (iii) appreciation and gratitude
- (iv) anger and anxiety
Answer: (i) sadness and helplessness
(c) The words ‘wan, pale’ indicate the mother’s ……….. .
Answer: Fragility and weakening health due to old age.
(d) Complete the following sentence appropriately:
The poet looked at her mother again to …………….. .
Answer: To capture her image and feel a deep connection before parting.
(e) Explain one inference that can be drawn from the line ‘felt that old familiar ache’.
Answer: The poet is reminded of her childhood fear of losing her mother, indicating her deep emotional bond and sense of impending loss.
(f) ‘put that thought away’.
What is the intention of the poet that can be inferred from the above line?
Answer: The poet tries to distract herself from painful thoughts about her mother’s mortality by focusing on the outside world.
Poem Extract – SQP (2023-2024)
I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon,
Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and
smile…
(i) What is the speaker’s emotional state when looking at her mother?
Options:
(A) Confused and disoriented
(B) Nostalgic and longing
(C) Empathetic and understanding
(D) Fearful and apprehensive
Answer: (D) Fearful and apprehensive
(ii) What does the use of the word “but” at the beginning of the line, ‘but all I said…’, suggest?
Answer: The word “but” suggests a contrast between the poet’s inner emotional turmoil and her outward actions. Despite feeling a deep fear of losing her mother, the poet outwardly tries to appear calm and composed by only saying a casual goodbye.
(iii) Select the word that WILL NOT complete the sentence appropriately.
The description of the mother as “wan, pale / as a late winter’s moon” creates a vivid image of ________.
Options:
(A) Vulnerability
(B) Sensitivity
(C) Frailty
(D) Mortality
Answer: (B) Sensitivity
(iv) State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE.
The poetic device used in the line, ‘pale as a winter’s moon’ is the same as the one used in the line, ‘the winter wind wistfully wailed at night’.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: The first line uses simile (comparison using “as”), while the second line uses personification (attributing human qualities to the wind).
(v) What message do these lines highlight, in the context of familial relationships, and the speaker’s sense of anxiety and fear at the prospect of losing her mother?
Answer: The lines highlight the inevitability of aging and the transient nature of life. They convey the poet’s deep emotional bond with her mother and her fear of separation and mortality. It emphasizes cherishing family relationships and coping with the anxiety of losing loved ones.
(vi) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The repetition of the word, ‘smile’ suggests that
Answer: The repetition of the word, ‘smile’ suggests that the poet was making desperate efforts to mask her inner fears and sadness with a facade of positivity and composure.
Extract – CBSE (2022 – 2023)
Extract -1
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 but soon
put that thought away, and
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, (CBSE 2023)
(a) Identify the phrase that indicates youthful energy.
Answer: Young trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes.
(b) Which thought is the poet trying to put away?
(i) Missing the flight
(ii) Fear of losing her mother
(iii) Leaving her mother behind
(iv) Reaching Cochin
Answer: (ii) Fear of losing her mother
(c) The poet’s mother is described as ‘open mouthed’ because ………..
(i) she is curious
(ii) she is surprised
(iii) she was dead
(iv) she was dozing
Answer: (iv) she was dozing
(d) Complete the following analogy:
children spilling: metaphor :: ………. : personification
Answer: Young trees sprinting
(e) The sight of the trees and the children helped the poet ………. .
Answer: Distract herself from the painful thoughts about her mother’s aging and mortality.
(f) In the given extract, the phrase ‘realised with pain’ indicates the poet’s:
(i) anxiety
(ii) desperation
(iii) troubled past
(iv) ill-health
Answer: (i) anxiety
Extract – 2
but after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan,
pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that
old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon,
Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and
smile…… (CBSE 2023)
(a) Choose the correct option:
In the above extract the narrator feels:
- (i) satisfied
- (ii) fearful
- (iii) nostalgic
- (iv) regretful
Answer: (iii) nostalgic
(b) Identify the word in the extract that means ‘colourless’.
Answer: Wan
(c) Complete the following analogy correctly:
She sang like a bird: Simile
All I did was smile and smile and smile: ……….
Answer: Repetition
(d) Read the following statement and choose the correct option:
- (I) The poet had gone through the security check.
- (II) She did not want to look at her mother.
- (i) (I) is true, but (II) is false.
- (ii) (I) is false, but (II) is true.
- (iii) Both (I) and (II) are true.
- (iv) Both (I) and (II) are false.
Answer: (i) (I) is true, but (II) is false.
(e) What childhood fear is the poet referring to?
Answer: The fear of separation and losing her mother.
(f) Fill in the blank with appropriate words with reference to the extract:
Pale as a winter’s moon suggests ………… .
Answer: The mother’s fragility and faded vitality, resembling the dim and lifeless appearance of a winter moon.
Extract – CBSE (2020)
Driving from my parent’s
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, 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 (Outside Delhi-2020)
(i) Where was the poetess driving to? Who was sitting beside her?
(a) The poetess was on her way back to Coimbatore. Her father was seated beside her in the car.
(b) The poetess was on her way back to Delhi. Her sister was seated beside her in the car.
(c) The poetess was on her way back to Cochin. Her mother was seated beside her in the car.
(d) The poetess was on her way back to Cochin. Her grandmother was seated beside her in the car.
Answer: (c) The poetess was on her way back to Cochin. Her mother was seated beside her in the car.
(ii) What did the poetess notice about her mother?
(a) Her face looked grey and ash coloured as that of a dead body.
(b) Her face looked pale and black coloured as that of a dead body.
(c) Her face looked grey and yellow coloured as that of a dead body.
(d) Her face looked pale and ash coloured as that of a dead body.
Answer: (d) Her face looked pale and ash coloured as that of a dead body.
(iii) Which thought made the poet feel painful?
(a) She thought that her mother would not live long.
(b) She thought that her mother would live long.
(c) She thought that her mother would suffer from illness.
(d) She thought that her mother would not talk to her.
Answer: (a) She thought that her mother would not live long.
(iv) Name the figure of speech used in the expression: ‘her face ashen like that of a corpse’.
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Oxymoron
(d) Personification
Answer: (b) Simile
Extract – CBSE (2019)
I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile … (2019)
(i) Name the poet and the poem.
- (a) Poem–A Thing of Beauty, Poet–John Keats
- (b) Poem–Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, Poet–Adrienne Rich
- (c) Poem–Keeping Quiet, Poet–Pablo Neruda
- (d) Poem–My Mother at Sixty–Six, Poet–Kamala Das
Answer: (d) Poem–My Mother at Sixty–Six, Poet–Kamala Das
(ii) What was the poet’s childhood fear?
- (a) Shifting from parental house
- (b) Losing mother
- (c) Shifting to a new city
- (d) Darkness
Answer: (b) Losing mother
(iii) What is the poetic device used in ‘as a late winter’s moon’?
(a) Personification
(b) Metaphor
(c) Simile
(d) Transferred epithet
Answer: (c) Simile
(iv) Explain: ‘late winter’s moon’.
- (a) Poet’s mother was looking pale and dull as the late winter’s moon. Her face was covered with wrinkles, as winter moon misted and obscured with clouds.
- (b) Poet’s mother was looking bright and cheery.
- (c) Poet’s mother was looking pale and dull as the late winter’s moon. Her face was covered with dark patches.
- (d) Poet’s mother was looking beautiful as the late winter’s moon. Her face was brightly lit, as winter moon shining among stars.
Answer: (a) Poet’s mother was looking pale and dull as the late winter’s moon. Her face was covered with wrinkles, as winter moon misted and obscured with clouds.
Extract – CBSE – (AI) 2016
I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with
Pain [CBSE (AI) 2016]
(a) Who does ‘I’ refer to?
Answer: ‘I’ refers to the poet, Kamala Das.
(b) What did ‘I’ realise with pain?
Options:
(i) That her mother is of sixty-six years now
(ii) That her children are playing outside
(iii) That her mother was ageing
(iv) None of these
Answer: (iii) That her mother was ageing
(c) Which word from the following means the same as ‘sleep lightly’?
Options:
- (i) Corpse
- (ii) Doze
- (iii) Ashen
- (iv) Realised
Answer: (ii) Doze
(d) Identify the poetic device used in the above stanza.
Answer: The poetic device used is Simile (ashen like that of a corpse), where the poet compares her mother’s pale face to that of a corpse.
(e) “and realised with pain”. Why was there pain in the poet’s realisation?
Answer: The pain arose because the poet realized her mother was aging and frail, which made her face the harsh truth of her mother’s mortality. The sight of her mother’s frailty caused emotional discomfort for the poet.
(f) Which of the following rhyme schemes has been employed by the poet in the above stanza?
Options:
- (i) ababab
- (ii) free verse
- (iii) abc abc
- (iv) aabbaa
Answer: (ii) free verse
Extract – CBSE – (F) 2010
. . . she looked but soon
put that thought away, and looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, . . . [CBSE (F) 2010]
(a) Which poetic device has been used in ‘trees sprinting’?
(i) Metaphor
(ii) Personification
(iii) Repetition
(iv) Simile
Answer: (ii) Personification
(b) What did the poet realise?
Answer: The poet realised that her mother was aging and appeared frail and lifeless.
(c) How did she feel when she realised that her mother is getting old?
(i) She was fine with it.
(ii) She tried to divert her thoughts.
(iii) This feeling was hard for her to accept.
(iv) None of these
Answer: (iii) This feeling was hard for her to accept.
(d) What did she do then?
Answer: The poet distracted herself by observing the outside world, such as the young trees and children.
(e) What does the poem not revolve around?
(i) Poet’s fears
(ii) Poet’s love for her mother
(iii) Theme of old age
(iv) Poet’s travel plans
Answer: (iv) Poet’s travel plans
(f) ‘put that thought away’. Which thought was put away?
Answer: The thought of her mother’s aging and the inevitable separation was put away by the poet.
Extract Based Questions- CBSE Question Bank
EXTRACT – 1
And
Looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
Out of their homes, but after the airport’s
Security check, standing a few yards
Away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
As a late winter’s moon and felt that old
Familiar ache… (CBSE Question Bank)
(a) What is the most likely reason the poet capitalised ‘Young Trees’?
Answer: The capitalization of “Young Trees” likely emphasizes their vitality and energy, contrasting with the poet’s perception of her mother’s aging and frailty.
(b) Choose the option that appropriately describes the relationship between the two statements given below. (CFQ)
Statement 1: The poet knows her mother has aged.
Statement 2: The poet feels the pain of separation.
Options:
- (i) Beginning – Ending
- (ii) Cause – Effect
- (iii) Question – Answer
- (iv) Introduction – Conclusion
Answer: (ii) Cause – Effect
(c) Choose the option that completes the sentence given below.
Just as the brightness of the winter’s moon is veiled behind the haze and mist, similarly:
Options:
- (i) the pain of separation has shaded mother’s expression.
- (ii) age has fogged mother’s youthful appearance.
- (iii) growing up has developed a seasoned maturity in the poet.
- (iv) memories warm the heart like the pale moon in winter.
Answer: (ii) age has fogged mother’s youthful appearance.
(d) Choose the correct option out of the ones given below.
Options:
(1) Simile: the merry children spilling
Metaphor: old familiar face
(2) Metaphor: pale as a late winter’s moon
Imagery: Young trees sprinting
(3) Imagery: all I did was smile
Personification: the merry children spilling
(4) Personification: young trees sprinting
Simile: pale as a late winter’s moon
Answer: (iv) Option (4)
Personification: young trees sprinting
Simile: pale as a late winter’s moon
(e) Identify the poet and the poem.
Answer: The poet is Kamala Das, and the poem is “My Mother at Sixty-Six.”
(f) What does ‘sprinting trees’ signify?
Answer: The phrase “sprinting trees” signifies the vitality, speed, and energy of the young trees, symbolizing life and movement, contrasting with the poet’s perception of her aging mother. It represents the contrast between the energy of youth and the frailty of old age.
EXTRACT – 2
Driving from my parent’s
Home to Cochin last Friday
Morning, 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 but soon
Put that thought away… (CBSE Question Bank)
(a) The given stanza is a piece of advice. (True/False)
Answer: False
(b) Choose the book title that perfectly describes the condition of the poet’s mother. (CFQ)
- Title 1 – ‘You’re Only Old Once!’ – By Dr Seuss
- Title 2 – ‘The Gift of Years’ – By Joan Chittister
- Title 3 – ‘Somewhere Towards the End’ – By Diana Athill
- Title 4 – ‘The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read’ – By Philippa Perry
Answer: (ii) Title 2 – ‘The Gift of Years’ – By Joan Chittister
(c) Choose the option that applies correctly to the two statements given below. (CFQ)
Assertion: The poet wards off the thought of her mother getting old quickly.
Reason: The poet didn’t want to confront the inevitability of fate that was to dawn upon her mother.
Options:
(i) Assertion can be inferred but the Reason cannot be inferred.
(ii) Assertion cannot be inferred but the Reason can be inferred.
(iii) Both Assertion and Reason can be inferred.
(iv) Both Assertion and Reason cannot be inferred.
Answer: (iii) Both Assertion and Reason can be inferred.
(d) Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as in the given lines of the extract.
Her face
Ashen like that
Of a corpse …
Options:
- (i) Just as I had this thought, she appeared and…
- (ii) My thoughts were as heavy as lead that evening when…
- (iii) I think like everyone else who…
- (iv) I like to think aloud when…
Answer: (ii) My thoughts were as heavy as lead that evening when…
(e) ‘She was as old as she looked’. What does this line imply?
Answer: This line implies that the poet realizes her mother is showing signs of aging, and her appearance reflects her actual age. It brings attention to the inevitability of aging.
(f) What made the poet worried?
Answer: The poet was worried because her mother looked old and frail, which made her realize that her mother was aging, a thought she didn’t want to face.
