What is the meaning of photograph by Shirley Toulson?
The poem ‘A Photograph’ is written by Shirley Toulson. In this poem, she recalls her mother and her memories while looking at a childhood photograph when her mother was twelve years old or so. She has been deceased twelve years ago and she cannot explain her grief on her mother’s loss.
Why is the poem titled A photograph?
The poet remembers her mother looking at the image and laughing as she recalled the moment in time. The title of the poem represents something very different for the poet than it dis for her mother. The image evokes a sadness of the loss of her mother, while it evoked thoughts of happiness for her mother.
What does it mean when two girls cousins paddle?
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.” Explanation: An old photograph of the poet’s mother which was pasted on cardboard makes the poet recall the old memories of her mother’s childhood.
What is the meaning of line both wry?
The line, “Both wry with the labored ease of loss” tells us about the poetess and her mother and how they both have been disappointed with the loss that they have experienced over time.
What does terribly transient feet mean in the poem?
terribly transient feet – In this phrase, the word feet is used to describe the human beings. This phrase means that human life is not permanent but temporary. The human beings have to die one or the other day but the sea is permanent . It is still going to be their after our death.
Why is the mother’s face referred to as a sweet face?
Expert-verified answer The poet refers to her mother’s face as the sweet face. She describes the day when this photograph was taken of her mother and the mother’s cousins. All three had their wet hair open, and their hair was obscuring part of their faces.
What does the cardboard denote?
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.
Who is the big girl mentioned here?
Poet’s mother is called “the big girl” because the cousins of the poet were holding her (mother’s) hands and she (mother) was treating them with motherly way.
What does the cardboard show do you the poetess?
Answer: The cardboard shows the poet of her mother’s lost childhood. It represented the photograph of her mother with her two cousins in the beach. Her mother remembered the past days and became nostalgic and happy for a moment but remembered that the photograph also shows the temporary lives of humans.
What is the meaning of Laboured ease of loss?
The phrase “Laboured ease of loss” is an oxymoron which refers to the acceptance of loss and living with it. In the poem, poet’s mother has lost her youth and has learnt to live by bearing it. On the other hand, the poet loses her mother and has learnt to live with it.
What is the reason for the mother and daughter to be wry?
Answer. Both the mom and daughter are worried about the laboured ease of lose because mother was worried about the lose of the age, the happiness which she felt during childhood… And daughter was worried about the losse of her mother… Thats why the poet says that both are worried about laboured ease of lose.
What is the meaning of its silence silences?
This expression from the poem ‘The Photograph’ by Shirley Toulson means the truth and mystery of the poet’s mother’s death fills him with sadness. The constant pain she experiences on account of her loss makes her silent.
What is the meaning of word wry in the poem?
disappointment
The word ‘wry’ here means disappointment. Both of them are disappointed and dejected over their loss.
What does the cardboard here refer to?
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.
What does the word cardboard refer to in the poem a photograph?
In the poem, the word ‘cardboard’ stands for the frame that supports and borders the photograph. The photograph shows the poet’s mother as a twelve year old girl with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The word ‘cardboard’ has been used to depict that the photograph is many years old.
What does the word mother refer in the poem?
Answer. Answer: The poet’s parting words, “see you soon, Amma,” signify both her farewell to her mother and an effort to leave her with optimism and cheer. They also enable the poet to empathise with the sense of isolation faced by her mother in the old age.
What does the poet mean by smile through their hair?
The phrase smiling through their hair refers to the fact that these women had long hair half covering their faces and their smiles were so bright that it seemed like sunshine penetrating through that cover. In other words, The breeze had swept the hair of the three girls at the beach onto their faces.
Why is the poetess’s mother called Big girl ‘?
Poet’s mother is called “the big girl” because the cousins of the poet were holding her (mother’s) hands and she (mother) was treating them with motherly way. Poet was called the big girl because she was in the middle holding the hands of the two sisters.