A PHOTOGRAPH /CLASS -11/CBSE/ENGLISH POEM /CENTRAL IDEA /EXPLANATION

                  A PHOTOGRAPH 

                                       -SHERLEY TOULSON

     CENTRAL IDEA 

Shirley Toulson 's poem" A  photograph" is a tribute to her mother . The poem describe three stages in the passage of time. In the first stage, the photograph shows the poet's mother is standing at the beach of enjoying her holiday with her to girl cousin. She was around 12 years old at that time. The second stage Take us 20or30 years later. The mother would laugh at the way she and her cousin were dressed up for the beach holiday. In the third stage of the poet remembers the dead mother with a heavy heart. The photograph revives a nostalgic feeling in the poet.         

STANZA WISE EXPLANATION OF THE POEM 

1."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 12 years or so."

Explanation--

An old photograph of the poet's mother which was pasted on cardboard makes the poet recall the old memories of her mother's chilhood. The photograph is a depiction of a mother's enjoyable moment at a sea beach with the to cousin who were younger to her. They were walking in Shallow water with bare feet near the beach. The mother was standing in the middle and holding hands of a two cousins who were standing on each  side .The poet's mother was 12 years all then. It  shows that the photogrph 

 was very old but the poet has kept it very carefully as it reminded her of sweet memories of her mother's childhood.The photograph also indicate how enjoyable her mother's childhood was.

2."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."

EXPLANATION 

The photograph shows that all three girls the poet's mother and her two cousins Stood Still and smile at the camera when their uncle clicked their photo at the sea beach. As the weather was windy at that time,their hair was flying over their smiling faces . The expression on the faces of the poet's mother and her cousin was that of happiness and enjoyment . The mother was looking very pretty at that time and the photograph was taken a long time ago.

Everything has changed since then, her mother grew up now she was dead and the poet was reviving her memories. The only thing that has remained unchanged is the sea which was watching the feet of all three girls .The mention of the word "transient"indicates  the ever changing lives of human being as well as the shortness of their stay on this world ,in contrast to the eternality of nature.The girl's life changed drastically during this period but the sea has not changed.The stanza   beautifully explain the transient nature of human being. 

3." Some twenty- thirty -years later 

She'd laughat 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."

EXPLANATION 

Even20-30 years later the mother would look at the photograph and love nostalgically remembering the happy memories of her past.  Mother would look at the photograph and comment on the dressesworn by cousins Doli Bettiyand herself .sea holiday was her mother's past and her mother's laughter has become a thing of the past for the poet as ahermother was now dead . The poet still remembers how her mother would laugh at the photograph remembering the sea holidays with a fondness as well as a sense of loss because that time would never come back.In the same way poet feels nostalgic thinking about her mother and her laughter which has become a thing of the past .

The word" laboured'and "ease"are opposite to each other, but describe the same entity loss.

4." Now she's been dead nearly as many years As the girl lived.And of the circumstance

 There is nothing to say at all 

It's silence silences."

EXPLANATION 

The poet recalls that it is nearly 12 years since her mother died .The poet is consumed with grief  but is left with no words to express her loss and pain. The poet is totally absorbed  in memories of a dead mother .The painful silence of this situations leaves the poet speechless.The poet can feel the grief but is unable to express it through Words .The silence caused by death make the atmosphere gloomy where no one is able to utter  words.

WORD -MEANING 

Cardboard -very stiff paperboard on which the photograph was pasted.

Paddling -walking through shallow water in bare feet 

Still -without moving 

Terribly -extremely bad 

Transient -temporary 

Snapshot -photograph 

Dressed up -put on clothes 

Wry -disgusted 

Laboured -achieved after a lot of hard work 

Ease -comfort. 

POETIC DEVICES USED IN THE POEM 

Allusion - An allusion  is a reference or an incidental mention of something either directly or by implication. Example of allusion in this poem is 'cardboard 'which actually refers to the photograph

Alliteration - alliteration is the repetition of the initial letter of several words making the stressed syllable in a line of poem .Examples of alliteration in this poem are "Stood Still to smile" terribly transient"," its silence silences"etc. 

Oxymoron-  laboured-ease

personification -'it's silence silences "

Transferred Epithet - transient feet is an example of transferred epithet

POEM A PHOTOGRAH EXPLANATION- https://youtu.be/-49Ni1Vkt88

POEM A PHOTOGRAPH EXTRA QUESTIONS-  https://youtu.be/h_9XScOb_W0