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English Core · 2026 · 5 marks
CBSE 2026 · Region 1 · Set 1 · Q12
How is the transient nature of beauty and life portrayed in the poems 'My Mother at Sixty Six' and 'A Thing of Beauty'?
How is the transient nature of beauty and life portrayed in the poems 'My Mother at Sixty Six' and 'A Thing of Beauty' ?
Board’s value points
What CBSE’s own marking scheme for this paper expects an answer to cover.
'My Mother at Sixty Six'
transience of life is seen through the process of ageing and approaching death/ashen face/weakness
beauty is seen in the vibrant, energetic life outside the car- trees sprinting and merry children - these images are in contrast to the mother
ageing shows life moves from youth to old age and eventually ends, so, physical beauty is transient
comparison to corpse suggests the inevitability of death
'A Thing of Beauty'
life is full of sadness, but beauty is an eternal source of joy/ enduring beauty can shield us from the harsh realities of life
even when a beautiful object fades, its memory and impact lasts
beauty is not merely physical
Life and physical beauty are transient but the joy a thing of beauty gives is everlasting.More from Flamingo: My Mother at Sixty-six
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CBSE Class 12 English Core past-paper question from the 2026board exam, with the answer as CBSE’s own marking scheme gives it. Where our answers come from.