“A Photograph”

-Shirley Toulson
Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Amitabh Sir for his guidance

and support. Special thanks to PM Shree Kendriya
Vidyalaya ,CMERI School for providing all the
valuable resources. I also appreciate the
encouragement from my friends and seniors throughout
this project.

Thank you!
 SUMMARY

THEME

content EXPLANATION OF STANZA

CHARACTERS PRESENT

FIGURE OF SPEECH

IMPORTANT EXTRACTS

CONCLUSION
 “A Photograph”
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 years or so.
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.

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. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.

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.

-Shirley Toulson
Summary
A Photograph summary compares the internal state of
nature and the momentary state of humans. "A
Photograph" by Shirley Toulson is a reflective poem that
centers on a photograph of the poet's mother taken when
she was a young girl. The image captures a joyful moment
at the beach with her cousins Betty and Dolly. The poem
conveys a sense of nostalgia as the poet describes how her
mother used to look at the photograph and laugh,
remembering her carefree childhood. After her mother’s
death, the photograph evokes a deep sense of loss for the
poet, highlighting the passage of time and the enduring
impact of old memories.
Theme

The poem encapsulates themes of

memory, loss, and the passage of time
through these characters and their
connections, highlighting how
photographs serve as powerful
reminders of loved ones and
moments long gone.
 Explanation Of Stanza
•Explanation of First Stanza:- The first stanza describes the photograph itself. It shows the
poet’s mother at about twelve years old, standing with her cousins on a beach. The girls are
enjoying a day out, with the poet’s mother in the middle, holding the hands of the other two
girls. The poet notes the sweet, innocent smiles and the carefree nature of their youth. The
setting captures a moment frozen in time, a snapshot of pure happiness and simplicity.

•Explanation of Second Stanza:- The second stanza shifts to the poet’s mother’s
perspective. Many years later, she would look at this photograph and laugh, recalling the
innocent pleasure of those days. She would nostalgically remember how her cousins, Dolly
and Betty, dressed up for the beach, and how time had altered their lives. This stanza
underscores the passage of time and the changes it brings, as well as the bittersweet nature of
remembering one’s past.

•Explanation of Third Stanza:- In the final stanza, the focus turns to the poet’s feelings
•Explanation of Third Stanza:- In the final stanza, the focus turns to the poet’s feelings
after her mother’s death. The photograph, once a source of fond memories for her mother,
now evokes a deep sense of loss for the poet. The "silence" of the photograph symbolizes the
absence left by her mother’s death, creating a poignant contrast between the lively past and
the quiet present. The poet reflects on how the photograph, and the memories it holds,
highlight the transient nature of life and the enduring impact of loss.
 Characters Present
Here's a brief explanation of the key
characters in the poem:
1. The Poet's Mother: Central to the
poem, she is remembered through
the photograph. The image depicts
her as a girl of around twelve,
enjoying a day at the beach with her
cousins. The poet describes her
mother’s youthful appearance and
the joy she felt during that time.
Later in the poem, the mother, now
deceased, is remembered with a
sense of loss and nostalgia.

2. The Poet: The poet, Shirley

Toulson, reflects on her mother's
2. The Poet: The poet, Shirley
Toulson, reflects on her mother's
life and her own memories.
Through the photograph, she
connects with her mother’s past and
contemplates the passage of time
and the inevitability of loss. The
poet’s feelings are conveyed
through the detailed description of
the photograph and the poignant
recollection of her mother’s
laughter while looking at the
picture.

3. The Cousins: The poet’s mother is

seen standing with her cousins in
the photograph. They symbolize the
shared happiness and carefree
 picture.

3. The Cousins: The poet’s mother is

seen standing with her cousins in
the photograph. They symbolize the
shared happiness and carefree
nature of childhood. Though not
much is detailed about them, their
presence in the photograph
emphasizes the communal joy and
simplicity of that moment in time.
Figure Of Speech
"A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson employs several figures of speech to enhance its
emotional depth and convey its themes effectively. Here are some key figures of speech
used in the poem:

1. Imagery: It is used extensively to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind.

Toulson describes the photograph and the scene it captures in detail:- "The
cardboard shows me how it was"- "A sweet face, my mother’s, that was before I
was born"- "the sea holiday was her past“

2. Alliteration: It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words,

which adds a musical quality to the poem:- "stood still to smile"- "terribly
transient“.

3. Metaphor: Metaphor is a figure of speech that implies a comparison between two

3. Metaphor: Metaphor is a figure of speech that implies a comparison between two
unlike things by stating one is the other:- "Its silence silences" (The photograph's
silence represents the poet's mother's absence and the poet's grief.)

4. Oxymoron: Oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in

conjunction:- "laboured ease" (to describe the poet’s mixed feelings about the
photograph and the memories it invokes)

5. Personification: Personification attributes human characteristics to non-human

objects or abstract ideas:- "The sea holiday was her past" (The holiday is given a
human-like quality of being a part of the mother’s history.)

6. Transferred Epithet: Transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an adjective

usually associated with one noun is transferred to another noun:- "Some twenty-
thirty- years later" (Years are described as having the quality of passage,
transferring the epithet of time’s passage to the years themselves.)

7. Repetition: Repetition emphasizes a particular word or phrase to reinforce its

 usually associated with one noun is transferred to another noun:- "Some twenty-
thirty- years later" (Years are described as having the quality of passage,
transferring the epithet of time’s passage to the years themselves.)

7. Repetition: Repetition emphasizes a particular word or phrase to reinforce its

significance:- "A sweet face, my mother’s, that was before I was born“

8. Irony: Irony is present in the way the photograph, a representation of a happy

moment, now serves as a reminder of loss and grief:- The same photograph that
once brought laughter to the poet’s mother now brings a profound silence to the
poet. Through these figures of speech, Shirley Toulson effectively conveys the
themes of memory, the passage of time, and the pain of loss in "A Photograph."
 Important Extracts

Here are some important lines from "A Photograph" by Shirley

Toulson:

1. "The cardboard shows me how it was“ - This line introduces

the photograph as an object that reveals the past. The
"cardboard" refers to the physical photograph, which serves as
a portal to a moment long gone, preserving a memory of the
poet’s mother’s childhood.

2. "A sweet face,

My mother’s, that was before I was born“ - Here, the poet
describes her mother’s face in the photograph, emphasizing the
temporal distance between her mother’s youth and the present.
2. "A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born“ - Here, the poet
describes her mother’s face in the photograph, emphasizing the
temporal distance between her mother’s youth and the present.
It highlights the passage of time and the changes that have
occurred since then.

3. "And the sea, which appears to have changed less“ - This

line contrasts the unchanging nature of the sea with the changes
in human life. While the sea remains constant, the people in the
photograph have grown older and, in the case of the poet’s
mother, have passed away. This emphasizes the transient nature
of human life.

4. "Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.“ - The phrase "laboured ease
of loss" is an oxymoron that captures the complex emotions
tied to reminiscing about the past. It suggests that recalling
4. "Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.“ - The phrase "laboured ease
of loss" is an oxymoron that captures the complex emotions
tied to reminiscing about the past. It suggests that recalling
happy memories can be both comforting and painful, as they
remind the poet and her mother of what has been lost with time.

5. "The sea holiday was her past, mine is her laughter“ - This
line juxtaposes the past of the poet’s mother with the poet's
present. For the mother, the sea holiday is a distant memory.
For the poet, her mother's laughter while reminiscing about that
holiday becomes a cherished memory, underscoring the
continuity and transformation of memories across generations.

6. "Now she’s been dead nearly as many years As

that girl lived“ - This poignant line marks the passage of time
since the mother’s death, highlighting the significant loss the
poet feels. It also reflects on the cyclical nature of life and
 that girl lived“ - This poignant line marks the passage of time
since the mother’s death, highlighting the significant loss the
poet feels. It also reflects on the cyclical nature of life and
death, and the enduring impact of memories.

7. "And of this circumstance

There is nothing to say at all“ - This line captures the
inexpressible nature of grief. The poet acknowledges the
overwhelming silence and emptiness left by her mother’s
absence, a silence that words cannot fully capture.

8. "Its silence silences“ - The repetition here emphasizes the

profound quiet that the photograph brings. The photograph,
once a source of joyful memories, now symbolizes the void left
by the mother’s death. The silence of the photograph mirrors
the silence of the loss, creating a powerful emotional impact.
These lines collectively emphasize themes of memory, the
passage of time, and the deep sense of loss and nostalgia that
pervade the poem.
profound quiet that the photograph brings. The photograph,
once a source of joyful memories, now symbolizes the void left
by the mother’s death. The silence of the photograph mirrors
the silence of the loss, creating a powerful emotional impact.
These lines collectively emphasize themes of memory, the
passage of time, and the deep sense of loss and nostalgia that
pervade the poem.
Conclusion
"A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson encapsulates the profound
impact of memory and loss. The poet reflects on the passage of
time through a cherished photograph of her mother’s childhood. As
the poem progresses, the photograph becomes a poignant reminder
of her mother’s absence. The final lines underscore the silence and
void left by her mother's death, highlighting the inevitability of loss
and the enduring nature of memories. The poem ultimately conveys
a deep sense of nostalgia and the emotional weight of reminiscing
about loved ones who are no longer present.
Thank You!
 Credits
Presentation Analysis And PPT
Swagata Banerjee
Orientation Work
Anamika Kumari
Salome Lal
Pictures For Presentation
Jailaxmi Reddy
Information Analysis
Ritu Maitra