My Mother at Sixty-Six (Kamala Das) — NCERT Solutions

The poet feels a deep emotional pain caused by seeing her mother growing old and frail. It is also the childhood fear of losing her mother or being separated from her, which comes back to her when she notices her mother’s ageing face.

The young trees are described as 'sprinting' to suggest speed, energy, and life. Their movement contrasts with the mother’s old and weak appearance and also reflects the poet’s own hurried journey away from home.

The merry children 'spilling out of their homes' symbolize happiness, youth, and carefree life. The image is used as a contrast to the poet’s mother, whose age reminds the poet of decline and death.