by Kamala Das
Reflections on ageing, separation and fear of separation.
“All I did was smile and smile and smile......”
Answer the following questions:
1) What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
The poet feels the pain of separation from her mother. The poet is going away. Her mother is very old, and therefore she is worried about her. As she is very old, she may die very soon. She feels that she might not be able to see her again alive.
2) Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’?
The young trees are described as ‘sprinting’, because the trees are full of energy, freshness and youthfulness. As the taxi moves ahead, the poet can see trees running back with some speed. She creates a contrast here between the trees and her mother who lacks energy, freshness and youthfulness at such an old age.
3) Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
The poet describes children who are extremely joyful and bubbling with life. They are also used here as a symbol of great happiness and fluidity. The poet uses the word ‘spilling’ to tell us how swiftly and energetically the children moved. This creates another contrast against the poet’s old mother as she cannot move with such fluidity.
4) Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’?
The late winter’s moon is not visible clearly due to fog. It appears to be dull. The poet’s mother’s face also has become dull and pale due to old age. It seems almost lifeless. It has lost the brightness or glow that used to be there. Therefore, the poet compares her mother with the ‘late winter’s moon’.
5) What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
The poet was worried that she might not be able to see her mother alive again when she comes next time. She is so old that her death would be approaching quickly. She feels the pain of separation again, but this time this separation would be forever. However, she does not want to reveal this pain to her mother. Therefore, despite her worried thoughts, she tells her mother, ‘See you soon, amma.’ This is in total contradiction with her thoughts. Further, to hide her feelings, she keeps on smiling continuously.
Poem Analysis:
*Rhyme Scheme:
The poem has no rhyme and meter. It is free verse.
*Form:
The whole poem is a single sentence. It appears like a string of thoughts coming one after another. This makes the poem a 'stream of consciousness'. It is a continuous flow of ideas and feelings in the poet's mind.
*Figures of speech:
1) Simile:
- her face ashen like that of a corpse
- wan, pale as a late winter’s moon
2) Repetition:
- all I did was smile and smile and smile…
3) Contrast:
- Between sprinting trees and poet’s mother
- Between merry children and poet’s mother
4) Symbols:
- Trees sprinting (Contrast)
- The merry children spilling out of their homes (Contrast)
- Corpse (Simile)
- Late winter’s moon (Simile)
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