In this Post we have uploaded AHSEC/ NCERT Class 11 English Hornbill a photograph (HS 1st year a photograph Question answers) poem Important Questions Answers & AHSEC previous years paper questions and answers . Also get a summary of the poem and textual, important, extra notes.
AHSEC CLASS 11 ENGLISH
A PHOTOGRAPH
Summary of a Photograph
Introduction: It is a beautiful poem presented in honor of his mother by Shirley Toulson. Her mother is not alive but her memories are still intact as the images continue to live on with the poet.
Short description: The poem begins with a caption for a picture of the poet's mother (who was 12 years old at the time) standing and enjoying a sea holiday with her two cousins, Betty and Dolly. Each one holds his mother's hands by the seashore. The photo was taken by the poet's uncle and shows three girls standing on the beach washing their feet in seawater.
The second clause describes the period 20 or 30 years later. Poetess's mother laughed when she saw how they were dressed during the beach holiday. Here the poet says that a holiday at sea was his mother's time but his mother's laughter has passed him by now. The picture evokes memories of losing her mother in a poem.
The third section describes the death of the mother and tells us that when the poet looks at the picture he remembers his mother. He says nothing and accepts the peace of the situation.
Conclusion: The poem actually presents a complex situation. On the other hand it describes the joys and moments of happiness in the picture. On the other hand, it describes the loss and peace that results from the death of a loved one.
A Photograph Question Answers
1. What does the cardboard show?
Ans. The cardboard shows an old photograph of the poet’s mother, standing on the beach with her two girl cousins. They were smiling at the uncle who was standing with a camera at the beach.
2. What has the camera captured?
Ans. The camera has captured the pretty face of poet’s mother who was a girl of about twelve and the smiling face of two girl’s cousins Betty and Dolly. They were standing at the beach holding poet’s mother hand.
3. Why did the poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot? What did their laugh indicate?
Ans. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot as they were dressed up by their parents for the sea holiday. She pointed it out to her cousins Dolly and Betty who were with her in the photography. The laugh indicate her youthful sprit.
4. What is the meaning of the line ‘Both wry with the labored case of loss?
Ans. Both the poet’s mother and the poet suffer a sense of less. The mother has lost her happy and cheerful childhood. For the poet lost that sweet laughter of the mother as was captured by the snapshot years ago.
5. Why are feet of all the girls called ‘terribly transient’?
Ans. . Feet of all the girls are called terribly transient because all three girls are mortal. They are subjected to death, decay, old age or destruction etc. Compared to the sea, the three girls are mortal. They have, ‘momentary’ existence.
6. “The sea, which appears to have changed less, washed their terribly transient feet.” How does the poet contrast the girls’ terribly transient feet’ with the sea?
Ans. All the girls standing at the beach have ‘terribly transient’ existence. They are mortal and suffer physical changes with the passage of time. The mother’s sweet face and her smile has disappeared after twenty or thirty years. But the vast sea remains unchanged or seems ‘to have changed less’ in their comparison.
7. Why are feet of all the girls called ‘terribly transient’?
Ans. Feet of all the girls are called terribly transient because all three girls are mortal. They are subjected to death, decay, old age or destruction etc. Compared to the sea, the three girls are mortal. They have, ‘momentary’ existence.
8. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest anything?
Ans. In the photograph only the sea has not changed whereas many changes has cove to these little girls who had enjoyed on that beach. This suggests that human beings are subjected to death, decay, old age or destruction.
9. What does “this circumstances” refers to?
Ans. The poet talks about her mental condition at present. The situation is very lonely and she feels unbearably sad without her mother’s presence.
10. Why do you think were girls smiling through their hair?
Ans. The girls were smiling through their camera because they were happy and excited and wanted to make their smiles long-lasting by capturing them in their uncle’s camera through snap.
11. What is the reason that the sea has not changed?
Ans. The sea and its huge body of water is a natural object. Unlike human life it is not a subject ot death decay, old age or destruction etc. It remains forever and therefore has hardly changed at all.
12. Why there is nothing to say at all?
Ans. While talking about the emptiness created by the death of her mother, the poet becomes very sad and sentimental. She feels the paid of her mother’s presence and losses the power of expression, she becomes unable to talk about her exact emotions. That is why she feels and says that there is absolutely nothing to say at all.
13. The three stanzas of the poem ‘A photograph’ depict three different phases. What are they?
Ans. 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.
14.Briefly evaluate the poet’s attitude towards life as seen in the last stanza of the poem, ‘A Photograph’.
Ans: The poet recalls that it is nearly twelve years since her mother died. The poet is consumed with grief but is left with no words to express her loss pain. The poet is totally absorbed in memories of her dead mother. The painful silence of this situation leaves the poet speechless. The poet can fell the grief but it unable to express it through words. The silence caused by death makes the atmosphere gloomy, where no one is able to utter words.
***
Also Read :
- AHSEC Class 11 English Complete Notes & Papers With Solutions.
- AHSEC Class 11 English Syllabus for 2023
We hope that the above AHSEC Class 11 A photograph Poem Question answers will help you in your examination and you will be able to solve your problems, if you like aur Notes please do share our site with your friends, thank you for Visiting.