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Explanation: 'My Mother at Sixty-Six' is a poem written by the Indian poet Kamala Das, reflecting on themes of ageing, mortality, and the mother-daughter bond.
2. What triggers the poet's sudden realization and fear about her mother's mortality in the poem?
A. A letter from her mother
B. Seeing her mother's pale, aged, and seemingly lifeless face while driving her to the airport
C. A phone call
D. A dream
Answer: B. Seeing her mother's pale, aged, and seemingly lifeless face while driving her to the airport
Explanation: While driving to the airport, the poet glances at her sleeping mother and is struck by her mother's pale, sagging, corpse-like appearance, which triggers a deep fear of losing her.
3. What does the imagery of 'young trees sprinting' outside the car window symbolize in contrast to the mother?
A. The mother's youthfulness
B. The vitality and continuity of life, contrasting sharply with the mother's fading energy and approaching old age
C. The poet's own childhood
D. The airport's busy environment
Answer: B. The vitality and continuity of life, contrasting sharply with the mother's fading energy and approaching old age
Explanation: The rapidly moving young trees represent life, vigor, and youth rushing past, standing in stark, poignant contrast to the poet's mother, who appears to be fading with age.
4. How does the poet try to hide her inner turmoil from her mother before boarding the flight?
A. By crying openly
B. By smiling and saying 'See you soon, Amma', masking her true fear and sadness
C. By ignoring her mother completely
D. By arguing with her mother
Answer: B. By smiling and saying 'See you soon, Amma', masking her true fear and sadness
Explanation: Despite her inner anguish and fear, the poet puts on a brave, cheerful smile and offers a customary parting phrase, hiding her true emotions from her mother.
5. What is the central theme of 'My Mother at Sixty-Six'?
A. The joy of travelling
B. The pain of watching a parent age, and the universal fear of loss and mortality
C. The beauty of nature
D. The importance of punctuality
Answer: B. The pain of watching a parent age, and the universal fear of loss and mortality
Explanation: The poem poignantly captures a daughter's realization of her mother's mortality and the deep, universal anxiety associated with ageing and the eventual loss of loved ones.
This page contains a chapter-wise objective practice set. Try the questions without checking the answer first, then use the explanation to understand the point you missed. The current page contains 5 questions, so you can practise in smaller sets when you are revising.
Quick revision tip
After the practice set, write down the question numbers you missed and revise only those concepts once more. This makes MCQ practice more useful than repeatedly attempting the same questions without reviewing mistakes.
