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A Photograph Notes

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RITIN A.C.R
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17 views2 pages

A Photograph Notes

Uploaded by

RITIN A.C.R
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A PHOTOGRAPH

THEME
The poet sees a photograph of her mother. She was with her two girl cousins. They are enjoying
the sea holiday. The poet sees everything changed even the sea, however less. Some twenty-
thirty years later, the poet remembers her mother and misses her. This photograph is a token of
remembrance of her mother.
SUMMARY
The photograph pasted on the cardboard shows two girl cousins – Betty and Dolly who went
paddling in the sea with the poetess mother. Each of them was holding one of the hands of the
poet’s mother, who was a big girl of some twelve year or so at that time. Her uncle had a
camera. All three stood still facing the camera. They pushed their hair aside to smile. Thus the
photograph presents three smiling faces. The face of the poet’s mother is a sweet one. It was of
a time before she was born. Their feet, which were being washed by sea water for a very short
time, have been photographed along with sea, which appears to have changed less. The poet
thus indirectly hints that her mother’s face has changed over the years.
After a lapse of time, say some twenty or thirty years later, the poet’s mother would laugh at the
snapshot. She would refer to the photograph and recollect how her cousins Betty and Dolly had
dressed themselves for the beach when they went on a sea holiday. She laughs as she sees the
scanty dress. This sea holiday was an event of her past. Her laughter is real and pleasant for the
poet. It is precious memory for her. Both-her holiday and her laughter are amusing in an ironic
way as they are linked with her loss which requires a forced state of freedom from pain.
Now, the poet’s mother is dead, for nearly as many years as that girl in the picture lived. The
poet feels at a loss of words to comment on this event-her death. It is a solemn moment and its
silence makes her silent. Thus the poetess pays a tribute to her mother. It is the old photograph
that moves her to silence.
QUESTIONS

1. a. What does the ‘cardboard’ show the poet?


Ans: The ‘cardboard’ shows the poet the scene on the sea beach with three girls.
b. Why did the two girl cousins hold one of the poet’s mother’s hands?
Ans: As the poet’s mother was ‘the big girl’ i. e. elder in age so the two girl cousins hold one of
her hands.
c. How old was the oldest girl among the three cousins?
Ans: The oldest among the three cousins was some twelve years old.
d. How did the girls go to the sea beach?
Ans: The girls went to the sea beach ‘paddling’ means barefooted.

2. a. How long has the poet’s mother been dead?


Ans: The poet’s mother has been dead for about twelve years.
b. What is the meaning of the word ‘circumstance’ in the poem?
Ans: The word ‘circumstance’ in the poem means the death of the poet’s mother.
c. Why is there nothing to say at all?
Ans: There is nothing to say at all because the poet has lost her mother and her beautiful smile
forever.
d. What silences the silence?
Ans: The silence of the death silences the silence.
3. Describe the three girls as they pose for the photograph?
Ans: The three girls went to the sea beach to be photographed by their uncle. The younger
cousins were holding hands of the elder cousin. They smiled through their hair as they stood still
for a photograph.

4. Why would the poet’s mother laugh at the snapshot?


Ans: The poet’s mother would laugh at the snapshot as it would revive her memories of the old
happy days on the sea beach and the strange way in which they were dressed for the beach.
5. What are the losses of the poet’s mother and the poet?
Ans: The poet’s mother’s loss is of her old happy days on the sea beach while the loss of the poet
is the beautiful smile of her mother as she is now dead.

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