A Photograph

- Shirley Toulson

B. THINK IT OUT
Question 1.
What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
Answer:
The word ‘cardboard’ in the poem refers to the photograph of the poet’s mother enjoying a sea-holiday with her two
cousins when she was twelve years old.
The cardboard stands for the frame that supports and holds the photograph. It signifies that life is transient and what
remains is an insignificant piece of paper.
Question 2.
What has the camera captured?
Answer:
The camera has captured some happy childhood moments of the poet’s mother when she has gone for a sea holiday
with her two cousins Dolly and Betty. The girls were paddling in the water and enjoying the moment. The photograph
clicked by the mother’s uncle shows the girls’ innocent smiling faces while their hair was flying over their faces.
Question 3.
What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
Answer:
Time has moved on, but what has not changed over the years is the sea. It is immortal. It appears to be the same today
as it looked in the old photograph. It suggests the eternity of the sea. It also brings out the transient nature of man when
compared to nature and its objects. The pretty faces and the feet of the three girls are ‘terribly transient’ or mortal
when compared to the unchangeable and immortal sea.
Question 4.
The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
Answer:
The poet’s mother was a girl of twelve or so when the photograph was taken. The photograph has captured the smiling
face of the poet’s mother. She laughed in nostalgia at the snapshot that was taken years ago and also at the way all of
them were dressed for the beach. She pointed it out to others. Perhaps they looked funny. This laugh indicated that the
poet’s mother enjoyed remembering her childhood days, when she was young and free from the tensions and worries of
adult life.
Question 5.
What is the meaning of the line ‘Both wry with the laboured ease of loss.’
Answer:
The context of the above lines is the mother’s recollection of her childhood days and the poet’s recollection of her
mother’s laughing face. The mother had fond memories of her past but there was a sense of loss of the carefree
childhood days. The poet’s loss referred to here is the loss of her mother through death and her smile. The memories in
each case were beautiful, but painful to recall as time slipped away so easily.
Question 6.
What does ‘this circumstance’ refer to?
Answer:
‘This circumstance’ refers to the death of the poet’s mother. Whenever she saw the photograph of her mother, she
becomes sad as the photograph brings sad nostalgic feelings. She gets lost in the old sweet memories of the past. But
she can’t do anything about it now. She has nothing to say at all about it. She maintains silence and this silence leads to
a deeper pall .(cover) of silence.
Question 7.
The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
Answer:
Shirley Toulson’s ‘A Photograph’ describes three phases in time.
In the first phase, the poet’s mother is described as a twelve year old girl with a sweet and innocent smile. She is
standing on the beach enjoying a holiday with her two cousins — Dolly and Betty. This was the phase before the poet’s
birth.
In the second phase, the poet’s mother’s middle age is described, where she is laughing at her own snapshot. Perhaps
the girls were looking quite funny in the beach clothes.
The third phase describes the poet’s feelings for her mother, who has died many years ago. This is the current phase.
The photograph revives nostalgic feelings in her and it leads to a deeper silence.

Extra Questions
Question 1.
What has the camera captured?
Or
What had the camera captured in the poem “A Photograph”?
Answer:
The camera had captured the image of three happy youngsters enjoying a holiday by the
sea. They are the mother of the poet and her two cousins. The poet’s mother is only
twelve years old. The girls look happy in the picture.
Question 2.
Why does the poet feel emotional on seeing the photograph?
Answer:
The poet sees happy pictures of her mother enjoying a seaside holiday. Her mother is no
longer with her. She has been dead for twelve years.
Question 3.
Who are the people in the photograph?
Answer:
A smiling girl, about twelve-year-old and two younger girls, Betty and Dolly holding her
hands; the 12-year-old girl was the mother of the poet and the other two her cousins.
Question 4.
What impression do you form of the poet’s mother after reading the poem ‘A Photograph’?
Answer:
The poet’s mother is shown in the poem as a young girl of twelve. She is carefree and full
of enjoyment during her seaside holiday.
Question 5.
“And of this circumstance there’s nothing to say at all. Its silence silences”, says the poet
in ‘A ’Photograph’. What is she referring to?
Answer:
She is referring to the death of her mother.
Question 6.
How has the poet expressed her sense of loss?
Answer:
The poet feels a sense of loss by looking at an old photograph of her mother. She
remembers her mother’s reaction to that photo later in life. These memories make her
personal loss acute.
Question 7.
The poem ‘A Photograph’ contains the line ‘And the sea, which appears to have changed
less, washed their terribly transient feet’. The idea conveyed is that human life is subject to
change in terms of age and circumstances.
A philosopher once said, “Nothing is permanent except change.”
Briefly express your views on how a human being should handle change.
Answer:
One should handle change by recounting the past, as did the poet in the poem ‘A
Photograph’ where she refreshes memories of her dead mother through a photograph
taken on a beach holiday.
Question 8.
The opening lines of the poem ‘A Photograph’ describe three young girls on a seaside
holiday,
“When the two young girl cousins went paddling,”. “All three stood still to smile through
their hair…”
Holidays are obviously times for destressing and enjoying one’s leisure.
Write on the need for holidays in modern stressful times.
Answer:
Need for Holidays
(Choose your points)
Holidays as important as workdays. They are essential because they
• destress.
• bring families and friends together.
• improve one’s health.
• give time for hobbies.
Holidays need not be long.
Holidays need not be expensive.
Holidays rejuvenate.
Read the extracts given below.
Question 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 twelve year or so.
Answer the following.
(i) These lines describe …………..
(ii) …………. girls went paddling.
(iii) The word ‘cardboard’ conveys a sense of loneliness.
Answer:
(i) a photograph
(ii) Three
(iii) True
Question 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.
Answer the following.
(i) These lines have been taken from …………… composed by ………………..
(ii) The three mentioned in the first line are ………………….
(iii) A deep and significant contrast has been drawn in the last two lines between the sea
and the humans by using the phrases …………….. and ………………….
Answer:
(i) A Photograph; Shirley Toulson
(ii) the poet’s mother and her two cousins
(iii) changed less; terribly transient feet.
Question 3.
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.
Answer the following.
(i) ……………. are mother’s cousins.
(ii) ………………. would laugh seeing the snapshot.
(iii) The beach holiday took place …………..
Answer:
(i) Betty and Dolly
(ii) The poetess’ mother
(iii) twenty-thirty years ago
Question 4.
…………. 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.
Answer the following.
(i) These lines are from ……………. and the poet is …………..
(ii) ………….. has not changed much.
(iii) The phrase ‘terribly transient feet’ indicates …………….
Answer:
(i) ‘A Photograph’; Shirley Toulson.
(ii) The sea
(iii) The mother
Question 5.
…………….. The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.
Answer the following.
(i) ‘Her’ refers to …………….
(ii) ‘Her past’ means …………….. by the sea.
(iii) ‘Both wry with the laboured ease of loss’ means the poet’s and her mother’s past, loss
of the
happy sea holiday. [True/False]
Answer:
(i) the poet’s mother.
(ii) a pleasant holiday
(iii) True
Question 6.
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.
Answer the following.
(i) has been dead for twelve years.
(ii) ‘This circumstance’ refers to ……….
(iii) The meaning of the last line is that death is ……………
Answer:
(i) The poetess mother
(ii) the death of the poetess’ mother.
(iii) final and irrevocable.