What is the significance of the word but in but all I said was see you soon, Amma? (My Mother at Sixty-Six)

Question :What is the significance of the word but in but all I said was see you soon, Amma? (My Mother at Sixty-Six)

The correct answer is -The significance of the word “but” in the line “but all I said was see you soon, Amma?” from the poem “My Mother at Sixty-Six” by Kamala Das is to contrast the speaker’s actual thoughts and emotions with what she said out loud. The word “but” indicates a contrast, and suggests that the speaker’s thoughts and feelings were much more complex and emotional than what she said. The use of “but” suggests that the speaker is holding back her true feelings and emotions, and that there is an unspoken tension between her and her mother.