Literary Devices, My Mother at Sixty Six by Kamala Das

 

Literary Devices

MY Mother at sixty six

By

Kamala das

1. Imagery

Kamala Das uses vivid imagery to evoke strong visual and emotional responses. The image of her mother "dozing" in the car with "her face / ashen like that of a corpse" captures the vulnerability and fragility of her mother as she nears the end of her life.

• Example: “her face / ashen like that of a corpse”, “she was as old as she looked”, “young trees sprinting”, “Merry children spilling out of their homes” etc.

*    Imagery is an umbrella term which includes several other literary devices in it.

2. Simile

The simile “her face / ashen like that of a corpse” compares the mother’s face to a lifeless body, conveying the inevitability of death and the physical decline that comes with old age. The use of "ashen" emphasizes the pale, lifeless quality of her mother’s skin.

• Example: "her face / ashen like that of a corpse." “wan, pale as late winter’s moon.”

3. Metaphor

The energy of the children is compared with the spilling of beans.

• Example: “merry children spilling out of their homes.”

4. Personification

The trees have been given the humanly quality of running.

• Example: "young trees sprinting."

5. Alliteration

Kamala Das uses alliteration in several parts of the poem, particularly with the repetition of consonant sounds. This adds to the flow and musicality of the poem.

·         Example: “See you soon, Amma” (Das, lines 2-3).

6. Symbolism

Kamala Das uses the mother's face and her "ashen" complexion as symbols of the inevitable process of aging and death. The "ashen" face serves as a symbol of the end of life, and the car journey symbolizes the passage of time. The poet’s gaze at her mother, full of fear, symbolizes the emotional realization of the finiteness of life.

7. Enjambment

The use of enjambment (where a sentence or thought runs over from one line to the next without a pause) in the poem helps create a sense of continuity and flow. This mirrors the unbroken passage of time and the continuous nature of the speaker’s emotional journey.

• Example: "But soon / put that thought away." (Das, lines 14-15) — the thought of death is put away, but it lingers, just as the lines continue without a pause.

8. Tone

The tone of the poem is wistful, melancholic, and reflective. The speaker is filled with sorrow as she contemplates the fragility of life and her mother’s aging, but there is also an undercurrent of acceptance, especially in the final lines of the poem, where the speaker begins to emotionally distance herself from her fears.

• Example: “I saw my mother, / beside me, / dozing.” The tone here is one of observation and realization.

9. Irony

There is a subtle irony in the poem in the speaker’s desire to keep her mother safe from the inevitable passage of time. Despite her desire to protect her mother, time and mortality are unavoidable.

• Example: “I saw my mother, / beside me, / dozing.” This moment of peace contrasts sharply with the underlying awareness of the inevitable passage of time.