Exploring Loss and Memory in 'A Photograph' by Shirley Toulson
"The poem 'A Photograph' by Shirley Toulson delves into themes of loss, memory, and the fleeting nature of life. Through the discovery of an old photograph, the poet reflects on nostalgia, the passage of time, and the enduring power of memories. Poetic devices enhance the emotional depth of the poem, inviting readers to contemplate the significance of capturing moments through photography."
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Presentation Transcript
A Photograph (Shirley Toulson )
Introduction The poem shows how time takes its toll on life.We try to capture moments from life which remain as pictures in our mind-some faint some clear. It also tells us that change is the harsh and bitter reality of life. Time and tide wait for none. Death comes as the greatest leveller. When death strikes we humans are expected to accept the loneliness, the vacuum it creates.
Short Summary A Photograph by Shirley Toulson is a poem about how the poet discovers an old photograph of her mother in her young teens along with her cousins in the beach. They look very happy to be near the sea and were photographed by their uncle. The poet s mother is filled with nostalgia upon seeing the picture in her late forties. Unfortunately, the poet had chanced upon it again about twelve years after her mother had died. The poem thus conveys the beauty of photos being able to capture the past and how memories can be bittersweet as time passes by.
THEME The theme of the poem Photograph is loss, memory and the transience of life. It explores how people may die but in a strange way they continue to live on in the form of memories. These memories are not just restricted to one's head but can also attain a tangible form such as photographs.
Poetic devices in use 1) Stood still Alliteration 2) Through their Alliteration 3)Laboured ease Oxymoron. 4)Terribly transient Alliteration 5)Terribly transient Transferred Epithet.
CAMERA: a device for recording visual images in the form of photographs, film, or video signals. WASHED: clean with water and, typically, soap or detergent. HOLIDAY: an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling. LOSS: the fact or process of losing something or someone. TERRIBLY: very; extremely. SMILE: form one s features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed.
CARBOARD: pasteboard or stiff paper. PADDLING: a flock of swimming ducks. CIRCUMSTANCE: a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action. EASE: absence of difficulty or effort. TRANSIENT: lasting only for a short time; impermanent. BEACH: a pebbly or sandy shore, especially by the sea between high- and low-water marks. SILENCE: complete absence of sound. HOLDING: an area of land held by lease
NCERT QUESTIONS
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.
Made By - Ravinder Kaur,AFS,Ambala Resources used- NCERT
