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ABOUT THE POET
1. What is the central theme of the poem?
The poem “A Photograph” shows the contrast between the eternal state of nature and the transient state of human beings. The poet describes a photograph that captures interesting moments of her mother’s childhood when she went for a sea holiday with her two girl cousins.
2. What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
The cardboard denotes the photograph pasted on a hard thick paper. This word has been used to refer to the practice in the past when photographs were pasted on cardboard and framed with glass front to preserve them.
3. What has the camera captured?
The camera has captured same happy moments from the childhood of the poet’s mother. It was a scene taken from a beach where she had gone with her cousins and her uncle for a sea holiday. The girls were paddling in the water.
4. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshots. What does her laugh indicate?
The dress and behaviour of her cousins Betty and Dolly made the poet’s mother laugh. It is evident that they had put on some quaint dress, which amused her. It also refers to their past when their parent’s used to dress them up. Her laugh was a nostalgic laugh as she remembered her past.
5. Explain - “and look how they dressed us for the beach”. Whom does they refer to?
They refer to their parents. Parents of the girl cousins. The poet’s mother says that they overdressed them. It also refers to her past when parents used to choose dresses for their children and they dressed them up when children were taken out.
6. What does the poet say about her mother’s death?
The poet has no words to express her reaction to this solemn and painful incident. Death silences everyone. The extensive quietness and prevailing gloom silences her. The poet can’t forget the loss of her mother.
7. What does “this circumstance” refer to?
The circumstance refers to the present situation of poet wherein the poet is absorbed in the painful memory of her dead mother. Looking at the laughter, the poet realises that it has been the same number of years (12 years) since her mother died as her mother’s age in the photograph.
8. What is the meaning of the line “both wry with the laboured ease of loss”
This line refers to the sea holiday as remembered by her mother and the poet remembering her mother’s laughing face. Both these now belong to the past. Her mother is no more now.
By Shirley Toulson (20 May 1924 -15 May 2014)
Shirley Toulson born in Thames, England had a great passion for writing and was influenced by her father who was a writer. She secured a B.A literature from Brockenhurst College in London in the year 1953. Shortly after that she took writing as a career. She was a poet, teacher, educational journalist and editor.
1. What is the central theme of the poem?
The poem “A Photograph” shows the contrast between the eternal state of nature and the transient state of human beings. The poet describes a photograph that captures interesting moments of her mother’s childhood when she went for a sea holiday with her two girl cousins.
2. What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
The cardboard denotes the photograph pasted on a hard thick paper. This word has been used to refer to the practice in the past when photographs were pasted on cardboard and framed with glass front to preserve them.
3. What has the camera captured?
The camera has captured same happy moments from the childhood of the poet’s mother. It was a scene taken from a beach where she had gone with her cousins and her uncle for a sea holiday. The girls were paddling in the water.
4. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshots. What does her laugh indicate?
The dress and behaviour of her cousins Betty and Dolly made the poet’s mother laugh. It is evident that they had put on some quaint dress, which amused her. It also refers to their past when their parent’s used to dress them up. Her laugh was a nostalgic laugh as she remembered her past.
5. Explain - “and look how they dressed us for the beach”. Whom does they refer to?
They refer to their parents. Parents of the girl cousins. The poet’s mother says that they overdressed them. It also refers to her past when parents used to choose dresses for their children and they dressed them up when children were taken out.
6. What does the poet say about her mother’s death?
The poet has no words to express her reaction to this solemn and painful incident. Death silences everyone. The extensive quietness and prevailing gloom silences her. The poet can’t forget the loss of her mother.
7. What does “this circumstance” refer to?
The circumstance refers to the present situation of poet wherein the poet is absorbed in the painful memory of her dead mother. Looking at the laughter, the poet realises that it has been the same number of years (12 years) since her mother died as her mother’s age in the photograph.
8. What is the meaning of the line “both wry with the laboured ease of loss”
This line refers to the sea holiday as remembered by her mother and the poet remembering her mother’s laughing face. Both these now belong to the past. Her mother is no more now.
9. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
The sea has not changed over the years. Nature appears to be permanent. The sea symbolises eternity.
10. Explain “as that girl lived”.
That girl refers to the poet’s mother at the age of twelve as she looked in the photograph. Now it has been twelve years since her mother has passed away. The poet uses the word “that girl” because she remembers how much her mother has changed from a young girl to an adult and finally she left the world.
11. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
Stanza one refers to the childhood of the poet’s mother. It depicts the sweet smile of the poet’s mother with her two girl cousins when they were out to enjoy their holiday at the beach. The poet’s mother was only a girl of twelve then. It was her childhood stage, even before the poet was born.
Stanza two refers to the middle age of the poet’s mother. Twenty, thirty years later the poet says her mother has become middle aged women and she laughs at the snapshot taken at the beach.
The third stanza is about the death of the poet’s mother. Even after twelve years she mourns the death of her mother and remains speechless.
The sea has not changed over the years. Nature appears to be permanent. The sea symbolises eternity.
10. Explain “as that girl lived”.
That girl refers to the poet’s mother at the age of twelve as she looked in the photograph. Now it has been twelve years since her mother has passed away. The poet uses the word “that girl” because she remembers how much her mother has changed from a young girl to an adult and finally she left the world.
11. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
Stanza one refers to the childhood of the poet’s mother. It depicts the sweet smile of the poet’s mother with her two girl cousins when they were out to enjoy their holiday at the beach. The poet’s mother was only a girl of twelve then. It was her childhood stage, even before the poet was born.
Stanza two refers to the middle age of the poet’s mother. Twenty, thirty years later the poet says her mother has become middle aged women and she laughs at the snapshot taken at the beach.
The third stanza is about the death of the poet’s mother. Even after twelve years she mourns the death of her mother and remains speechless.
Poetic devices
Terribly transient feet-The poet uses a transferred epithet in order to make this comparison and highlight the terribly short lived life of her mother. Human life is temporary not the feet.
Laboured ease of loss- oxymoron- laboured and ease are opposite words describing the same feeling of loss.For the mother the sea holiday was her past that brought a sad smile on her face. That was a nostalgic laughter. Similarly thinking of her mother’s laughter brought a sad smile to the poet’s face.
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