What is the message of the poem a photograph by Shirley Toulson?

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.

Table of Contents

What is the central idea of the poem a photograph?

Central Idea of the Poem Shirley Toulson’s poem ‘A Photograph’ is a loving tribute to her mother. The poem reflects the passage of time and its three stages.

Does the word cardboard conveys a sense of loneliness?

The poet often got sad looking at the photograph pondering over the mystery of death. This word has been used to mean lifeless cardboard having her mother’s picture. Her mother was dead, and the cardboard was life-less. The cardboard picture could not make up for the loss of her beloved mother.

What is the central idea of a photograph Class 11?

In the poem A Photograph, the central idea is change. A photograph records the past and time. Through the photograph, the poet recalls the time of the recent past in present. She can see the change in the past, which is no more.

What does the word cardboard denote in the poem Why has this word been used?

The word cardboard denotes the photograph pasted on a hard thick paper. This word has been used to refer to a practice in the past when photographs were pasted on cardboard and framed with glass front to preserve them.

What is the theme of the poem a paragraph?

A poem’s subject is the topic of the poem, or what the poem is about, while the theme is an idea that the poem expresses about the subject or uses the subject to explore.

What is the tone of the poem photograph?

The tone of the poem is that of sadness. Shirley Toulson looks at an old photograph of her mother and is reminded of her mother who is no more. She recalls the moment when her mother was twelve years old and looked sweet and happy.

What does terribly transient feet mean in the poem a photograph?

What does ‘Terribly Transient Feet’ mean in the poem? her feet represent the mother, who changed with time while the sea remained the same.

Why does the poet mention the age of eleven?

Age eleven is so important for the poet because at this age he would be able to mark the difference between what is a fact and what is a fiction. At the age of eleven, the poet realizes that his childhood has gone. He has become much rational at this stage of his life.

What does paddling mean in the poem?

‘Paddling’ means ‘walking or standing with barefeet in shallow water’. ‘Went paddling’ means ‘swam with short movements of hands or feet up and down’.

What is the mood of the poem the photograph?

Answer: what is the mood of the poet here? In the poem “The Photograph”, the poetess Shirley Toulson travels down her memory lane and becomes nostalgic.

Who is the speaker in poem a photograph?

‘A Photograph’ is a powerful poem about loss, memory, and time. Despite the fact that it focuses on one speaker’s mother and a very specific photograph, it is incredibly moving and relatable.

What is the poem A photograph by Shirley Toulson about?

Shirley Toulson’s poem ‘A Photograph’ is a tribute to her mother. The poem describes three stages in the passage of time. In the first stage, the photograph shows the poet’s mother standing at the beach enjoying her holiday with her two girl cousins.

What is the meaning of its silence by Shirley Toulson?

The expression from the poem “A Photograph” by Shirley Toulson mean the death or loss of poet’s mother and the poet’s inability to express her grief and sorrow. “Its silence” here refers to death of poet’s mother and “silences” refers to the poet’s silence or sorrow because of it.

What literary devices are used in a photograph by Toulson?

For example, “sea” and “feet” in lines eight and nine as well as the “l” consonant sound in “laboured,” “loss,” and “lived” near the end of the poem. Toulson makes use of several literary devices in ‘A Photograph’. These include but are not limited to caesura, alliteration, and imagery.