Question

Why does Kamala Das compare her mother’s face to ‘late winter’s moon’? (My Mother at Sixty-six)

Hint:

The pale, dim winter moon matches the mother's colourless face and shows her frailty and age.

Answer 1

Step 1: Picture the image:
The late winter's moon is pale, dim and cold. The poet sees the same colourless look on her mother's face as they drive to the airport.

Step 2: Read the meaning:
The comparison stands for old age, weakness and a fading life.

Step 3: Write the answer in 40-50 words:
The poet compares her mother's face to the ‘late winter's moon’ because it is pale, dull and lifeless, just like her mother's ashen face. The comparison highlights the mother's old age, her fragility and fading energy, and it hints at the poet's fear that she may soon lose her.

Final Answer:
The simile shows the mother's pale face, frailty and diminished vitality, and the nearness of her death.