A Photograph | Poem 1 | English | Class 11th | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

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English | Class 11th | Hornbill | NCERT

A Photograph | Poem 1 | Summary | Questions and Answers |

 

A Photograph

The cardboard shows me how it was

When the two girl cousins went paddling,

Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,

And she the big girl — some twelve years or so.

All three stood still to smile through their hair

At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face,

My mother’s, that was before I was born.

And the sea, which appears to have changed less,

Washed their terribly transient feet.

Some twenty — thirty — years later

She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty

And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they

Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday

Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry

With the laboured ease of loss.

Now she’s been dead nearly as many years

As that girl lived. And of this circumstance

There is nothing to say at all.

Its silence silences.

                                  (Shirley Toulson)

 

Short Summary

            Shirley Toulson's poem "A Photograph" reflects on loss, memory, and the passage of time. It describes an old photograph of the poet's mother as a young girl, standing on the beach with her cousins. The image captures a moment of happiness and innocence, yet it also evokes the inevitable passage of time. The poet contrasts the carefree moment captured in the photograph with the present, where her mother has passed away. Toulson poignantly expresses her grief, contemplating how memories, while cherished, can also deepen the pain of loss. The poem underscores the fragility of life and the permanence of change.

 

Think it out

Question 1. What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?

Answer: The word "cardboard" refers to the material on which the photograph is mounted, symbolizing the physical photograph. It has been used to highlight the fragility and simplicity of the photo, in contrast to the powerful emotions and memories it evokes. "Cardboard" also subtly suggests the passage of time, as old photos are often mounted on such material.

Question 2. What has the camera captured?

Answer: The camera has captured a moment from the poet’s mother’s childhood. In the photograph, she is standing on the beach with her two cousins, enjoying a carefree moment by the sea. The picture represents a moment of happiness and innocence from the past.

Question 3. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?

Answer: The sea has not changed over the years. This suggests the permanence and timelessness of nature, in contrast to human life, which is fleeting and subject to change. The unchanging sea emphasizes the inevitable passage of time and the transient nature of human experiences.

Question 4. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?

Answer: The poet’s mother’s laughter at the snapshot indicated her amusement and nostalgia as she looked back at her younger self. It reflects her recognition of how much has changed since that carefree moment, and her fond memories of a time that has passed.

Question 5. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease of indicates loss.”

Answer: This line suggests that both the poet and her mother feel a bittersweet emotion as they recall the past. "Wry" refers to their shared feeling of irony or resignation toward the inevitable nature of loss, while "laboured ease" implies that they are trying to accept the pain, even though it is difficult. The line highlights how the passage of time brings both comfort and sorrow.

Question 6. What does “this circumstance” refer to?

Answer: “This circumstance” refers to the situation in which the poet finds herself after her mother’s death. It speaks to the poet’s contemplation of loss and her inability to hear her mother's voice or relive their past conversations. The circumstance refers to the overwhelming sense of absence and grief.

Question 7. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?

Answer:

1. The Past – The first stanza describes the poet’s mother’s childhood, captured in the photograph. It focuses on a carefree moment by the sea.

2. The Mother’s Reflection on the Past – The second stanza shows the poet’s mother as an adult, looking at the photograph and laughing at the memory of her younger self. It conveys nostalgia and recognition of change.

3. The Present – The third stanza deals with the poet’s present-day grief, reflecting on her mother’s death and the silence that now surrounds the photograph. It emphasizes the poet’s loss and mourning.