P-1 A Photograph

-Shirley Toulson
Theme, Tone & Setting:
● The theme of the poem Photograph is loss, memory and the transience of life.
● The tone of the poem is sad and melancholy. The poet memorizes her dead mother who
again remembers her lost youth. Both are sad.
● This poem is set in the memories of two women – the poet and her mother.
Vocabulary
● Paddling – walking in shallow water
● Transient – short-term; temporary
● Wry-discontented, ironic; mocking
● Silences – a complete absence of sound

Literary devices
*Alliteration :
Stood still- s sound

Through their-r sound

My mother’s- m sound

Terribly transient feet- t , n sound

Silence silences- s sound

* Rhyme scheme : Blank Verses

*Metaphor: Cardboard, sweet face
*Allusion: Cardboard
*Enjambment:

The cardboard shows me how it was

When the two girl cousins went paddling,

*Antithesis : And the sea, which appears to have changed less,washed their terribly transient
feet.(passage of time)

*Transferred Epithet - Transient feet

*Oxymoron:Laboured ease

*Personification: Its silence silences.

Project Work:
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 de stressing and enjoying one’s leisure.
Write on the need for holidays in modern stressful times.

H-1 The Portrait Of A Lady

-Khushwant Singh
Theme-
● The theme of innocence, friendship, love, connection, kindness, selflessness, respect
and acceptance.
● The story portrays a grandson's perception of his grandmother and how their bond of
love undergoes changes.
● It also puts light on the need of companionship and friendship felt by our elders.
● It also shows how love and emotion is experienced not only by human beings but
animals and birds too.
Tone & Setting -
The story proceeds in a very slow and heartwarming tone.
The initial part of the story is set in rural Punjab and the next part is set in the city.
Vocabulary
Portrait- painting or picture
Mantelpiece- a structure of wood, marble, or stone above and around a fireplace.
the thought was almost revolting-unpleasant
Absurd - Illogical
Undignified- disrespectful
Fables- fictitious
Hobbled – walked in an awkward way
Rosary- a string of beads for keeping count of number
Puckered – a face contract into wrinkles
an expanse of pure white serenity - refers to the calm, relaxed and peaceful character of the
author’s grandmother
Contentment – a state of happiness and satisfaction
Monotonous – dull and boring
Bothered- to be concerned
Scriptures - the sacred writings of a religion
Growling - making a low guttural sound in the throat
Courtyard- verandah
Distressed - suffer from extremely sorrow, anxiety or pain
Lewd Association – Indecent or Obscene
Harlots –immoral people
Snapped- break suddenly and completely
Seclusion – the state of being private and away from the people
Veritable - use to describe something which is very interesting or unusual
Bedlam – confusion
Chirrupings – the noise of a small bird
Perched - alight or rest on something
Sentimental - a feeling of nostalgia, sadness or tenderness; an emotional feeling
Frivolous – not having any serious purpose, light-hearted
Rebuke - disapproval of something or someone
frivolous rebukes - light hearted scoldings
Thumped- hit
Sagging – sinking downwards
Dilapidated – in a state of despair or ruin
the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum- The loose surface of the worn out drum
Persuade - to talk someone into doing something, request
Overstraining- overdoing something
Omitted - leave out or exclude something
Pallor – an unhealthy pale appearance
Expressions:
● thought was almost revolting
● we treated it like the fables of the Prophets
● She was like the winter landscape in the mountains
● an expanse of pure white serenity breathing peace and contentment
● Years rolled by
● Accepted her seclusion with resignation
● Veritable bedlam of chirrupings
● frivolous rebukes
● sagging skin of the dilapidated drum
● end was near
● peaceful pallor
Project:
Collage work of your favourite person and write a short paragraph on them .