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NCERT Class 11 English Poem A Photograph Solutions: The poem A Photograph by Shirley Toulson is a touching tribute to memory, time, and loss. It beautifully captures how a simple photograph can hold years of emotion and stories.
Through just three stanzas, the poet takes us on a journey across generations, from her mother’s childhood to her mother’s nostalgia, and finally to the poet’s grief and silence after her mother’s death.
In this blog, we bring you accurate solutions to important questions based on the NCERT poem. Whether you’re revising for exams or just want to understand this emotional poem better, our NCERT Class 11 English Poem A Photograph Solutions has you covered!
Table of Contents
Explore Notes of Class 11 English Hornbill
Think it out
1. What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
2. What has the camera captured?
3. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
4. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
5. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease of loss.”
6. What does “this circumstance” refer to?
7. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
NCERT English Hornbill A Photograph Answers
1. The word ‘cardboard’ refers to the photograph frame or the old photograph’s stiff backing, common in vintage prints. It has been used to suggest the age and fragility of the photograph, which contrasts with the deep and lasting memories it holds.
2. The camera has captured a happy moment from the poet’s mother’s childhood. She is seen paddling in the sea with her two cousins, all smiling while holding hands.
3. The sea has not changed over the years. This suggests the permanence of nature in contrast to the temporary nature of human life. It highlights the theme of transience and change.
4. The laugh reflects her fondness and amusement while recalling a cherished memory from her childhood. It also shows how she felt nostalgic yet emotionally detached from that time.
5. This line means that both the poet and her mother felt a bittersweet sadness of the mother about her lost childhood, and the poet about her mother’s death. The phrase shows that even with time, coping with loss is never truly easy.
6. “This circumstance” refers to the death of the poet’s mother. It signifies a situation of deep grief and silence, where words fail to express the sorrow.
7. The poem ‘A Photograph’ by Shirley Toulson is about the bittersweet passage of time, memories, and the pain of losing a loved one.
Here’s what it depicts in three stanzas:
- Stanza 1: A childhood memory of the poet’s mother captured in a photograph.
- Stanza 2: The mother’s reaction to that memory years later (mother’s adulthood), filled with nostalgia.
- Stanza 3: The present moment, which depicts the poet’s grief after her mother’s death and the silence that follows.
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