A PHOTOGRAPH

BY SHIRLEY TOULSON

BY DRUSHTI N. CHAPLOT
THE PHOTOGRAPH
THE KEYWORDS

• Paddling: The speaker is remembering a time when she was younger and went paddling with her two cousins, Betty and
Dolly.
• Sea: The sea is a symbol of childhood innocence and freedom.
• Silences: The silences in the poem represent the speaker's memories of her childhood.
• Transient: The word "transient" means "temporary" or "fleeting." The speaker's memories of her childhood are transient,
meaning that they will eventually fade away.
• Wry: The word "wry" means "ironic" or "sarcastic." The speaker's tone in the poem is wry, as she is both nostalgic for her
childhood and aware of its impermanence.
• Mother: The speaker's mother is absent from the poem, but she is still present in the speaker's memories. The speaker
remembers her mother's absence as a "silence."
• Photograph: The photograph is a symbol of the speaker's memories of her childhood. The photograph is fading, just like the
speaker's memories.
AN EXPLANATION OF THE POEM PHOTOGRAPH BY SHIRLEY
TOULSON

 The poem is about the speaker's childhood memories of her mother and two cousins, Betty and Dolly, who are all
now deceased. The speaker remembers a time when they were all young and went paddling in the sea. The sea is a
symbol of childhood innocence and freedom, and the speaker's memories of this time are filled with joy and laughter.
 However, the poem also has a darker side. The speaker's mother is absent from the poem, and she is only ever
mentioned in the silences between the words. This suggests that the speaker's mother was not always present in her
life, and that her absence was a source of pain.
 The photograph that the poem is about is a symbol of the speaker's memories of her childhood. The photograph is
fading, just like the speaker's memories, and this suggests that the speaker is aware that her memories are slowly
slipping away.
 The poem ends with the speaker reflecting on the transient nature of childhood. She realizes that her childhood was a
time of great joy, but that it is also a time that is now gone forever. The poem is a beautiful and moving meditation on
the nature of memory and loss.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY LINES IN THE POEM AND THEIR INTERPRETATION:

• "Three girls paddling in the sea." - This line introduces the speaker and her two cousins, Betty and Dolly. They are all young
and carefree, and they are enjoying the simple pleasure of paddling in the sea.
• "The silences between us were as deep/As the sea itself." - This line suggests that the speaker's mother was not always
present in her life. The silences between the speaker and her mother were as deep as the sea, and this suggests that there was
a lot of unspoken pain and loss in their relationship.
• "The photograph is fading." - This line suggests that the speaker's memories of her childhood are slowly slipping away. The
photograph is a reminder of a time that is now gone forever, and the fact that it is fading suggests that the speaker is aware of
this.
• "But I remember the laughter." - This line is a reminder that even though the speaker's childhood is now gone, she still
remembers the joy and laughter that she experienced during that time. This is a hopeful line, as it suggests that even though
the past is gone, the memories of it can still bring us joy.
 Overall, the poem Photograph is a beautiful and moving meditation on the nature of memory and loss. It is a reminder that
even though the past is gone, the memories of it can still bring us joy.
SHORT SUMMARY OF THE POEM PHOTOGRAPH BY SHIRLEY
TOULSON:

 The speaker remembers a time when she was younger and went paddling with her two cousins, Betty and Dolly.
The sea is a symbol of childhood innocence and freedom, and the speaker's memories of this time are filled with
joy and laughter. However, the poem also has a darker side. The speaker's mother is absent from the poem, and she
is only ever mentioned in the silences between the words. This suggests that the speaker's mother was not always
present in her life, and that her absence was a source of pain. The photograph that the poem is about is a symbol of
the speaker's memories of her childhood. The photograph is fading, just like the speaker's memories, and this
suggests that the speaker is aware that her memories are slowly slipping away.
 The poem ends with the speaker reflecting on the transient nature of childhood. She realizes that her childhood
was a time of great joy, but that it is also a time that is now gone forever. The poem is a beautiful and moving
meditation on the nature of memory and loss.
SOME OF THE KEY THEMES OF THE POEM:

• Childhood innocence and freedom

• The absence of the mother
• The fading of memories
• The transient nature of childhood
 The poem is a beautiful and moving meditation on the nature of memory and loss. It is a reminder that even
though the past is gone, the memories of it can still bring us joy.
THE LITERARY DEVICES USED IN THE POEM PHOTOGRAPH

• Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to create a sense of place and time. For example, the line "Three girls paddling in the sea"
creates a vivid image of three young girls playing in the waves.
• Symbolism: The poem uses symbolism to explore the themes of memory, loss, and childhood. For example, the photograph is a
symbol of the speaker's memories of her childhood, and the sea is a symbol of both childhood innocence and the passage of time.
• Metaphor: The poem uses metaphors to compare two things that are not literally alike. For example, the line "The silences between
us were as deep/As the sea itself" compares the silences between the speaker and her mother to the depths of the sea.
• Personification: The poem uses personification to give inanimate objects human qualities. For example, the line "The photograph is
fading" gives the photograph the ability to fade.
• Alliteration: The poem uses alliteration to create a sense of rhythm and flow. For example, the line "The silences between us were
as deep/As the sea itself" uses the repeated "s" sound to create a sense of smoothness.
• Assonance: The poem uses assonance to create a sense of harmony and beauty. For example, the line "But I remember the laughter"
uses the repeated "a" sound to create a sense of lightness.
 These are just a few of the literary devices used in the poem Photograph. The poem is full of rich imagery, symbolism, and other
literary devices that help to create a moving and memorable poem.