A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson

A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson

.Introduction: About the Poem and the Poet

Shirley Toulson (1924–2018) was an English poet, journalist, and editor known for her reflective and evocative poetry, often focused on themes like memory, time, loss, and human relationships. Her writing captures the emotions of everyday life in simple yet poignant language.

The poem "A Photograph" explores the complex emotions associated with remembering a lost loved one. It centers on a photograph of the poet’s mother taken during her childhood, and how the memory of her mother brings both nostalgia and grief. The poem beautifully conveys how time changes everything, but memories — especially those captured in photographs — endure.

Full Text of the Poem: "A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson

The cardboard shows me how it was
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.

All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet.

Some twenty—thirty—years later
She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter.
Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.

Now she’s been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all,
Its silence silences.

50 difficult words/phrases from the poem "A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson, along with their meanings in English and Hindi:

Word/Phrase	Meaning (English)	अर्थ (Hindi)
Cardboard	Thick, stiff paper used for photographs or backing	मोटा कागज / गत्ता
Snapshot	A casual photograph taken quickly	त्वरित फोटो / झटपट खींची गई तस्वीर
Paddling	Walking in shallow water, often at the beach	उथले पानी में चलना
Cousins	Children of one’s uncle or aunt	चचेरे भाई/बहन
Holding hands	Grasping someone’s hand with your own	हाथ थामना
Transient	Lasting only for a short time; temporary	क्षणिक / अस्थायी
Washed	Covered or flowed over with water	धो दिया गया / बहा
Appears	Seems to be	प्रतीत होना
Uncle	Brother of one’s parent	चाचा / मामा
Camera	Device to take photographs	कैमरा
Sweet face	Gentle or kind-looking face	प्यारा चेहरा
Before I was born	Time earlier than poet’s birth	मेरे जन्म से पहले
Changed less	Remained more or less the same	कम बदला
Sea holiday	Vacation at the beach	समुद्र की छुट्टी
Laugh at	To find something amusing or funny	हँसना
Dressed us	Made us wear certain clothes	हमें कपड़े पहनाए
Past	Time gone by	अतीत
Laughter	Sound made when laughing	हँसी
Wry	Twisted or ironic (often in humor or pain)	तिक्त / व्यंग्यात्मक
Laboured	Done with difficulty or effort	कठिन / परिश्रम से किया गया
Ease	Comfort or simplicity	सहजता
Loss	A feeling when someone or something is gone	क्षति / ग़म
Circumstance	Situation or condition	परिस्थिति
Silence	Complete quietness	मौन
Silences (verb)	Makes one speechless	चुप करा देता है
Still	Motionless or not moving	स्थिर
Smile through hair	Smile while hair is blowing over the face	बालों के बीच से मुस्कराना
Big girl	Older child among the group	बड़ी लड़की
Shows me how it was	Tells or reveals the past	यह दिखाता है कि तब कैसा था
Some twelve years	Approximately 12 years old	लगभग बारह वर्ष
As many years	Same number of years	उतने ही साल
Nearly	Almost	लगभग
Each one	Every individual	प्रत्येक
Holding	Grasping or carrying something	थामे हुए
Hair	Threads growing from the head	बाल
Time	Ongoing progress of existence	समय
Photograph	A picture taken with a camera	फ़ोटो / तस्वीर
Memory	Recollection of the past	याद
Nostalgia	Sentimental longing for the past	पुरानी यादों की भावना
Irony	Expression with opposite meaning (usually humorous or sad)	विडंबना
Evokes	Brings to mind	याद दिलाना
Emotion	A feeling like happiness, sadness, etc.	भावना
Grief	Deep sorrow, especially from loss	शोक
Captured	Taken or recorded (in photo or memory)	कैद किया हुआ
Reflection	Deep thought or consideration	विचार / प्रतिबिंब
Changed	Became different	बदल गया
Washed their feet	Sea water touched their feet	समुद्र की लहरों ने उनके पैर धोए
Recollection	Memory or act of remembering	स्मरण
Emotionally powerful	Strong feeling or impact	भावनात्मक रूप से प्रभावशाली
Permanence vs. change	Lasting nature vs. things that shift	स्थायित्व बनाम परिवर्तन

Central idea of the Poem

The poem "A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson reflects on the passage of time and the inevitable changes it brings. It describes a photograph of the poet's mother as a young girl, capturing a moment of her happy past. As the poet recalls the photograph, she feels a deep sense of loss, realizing how much time has passed since her mother’s death. The poem beautifully explores the theme of memory, loss, and the enduring nature of photographs in preserving moments.

Comprehension Questions

1. The cardboard...with the camera.

1. Write the title of this poem from which the above noted stanza has been taken? Who is the poet of this poem?
Answer: The title of the poem is "A Photograph" and the poet is Shirley Toulson.

2. What do you understand by 'Cardboard' in this poem?
Answer: 'Cardboard' refers to the photograph pasted on a cardboard frame.

3. What does the poet see in the photo?
Answer: The poet sees a photograph of her mother with two cousins at the beach.

4. Who was twelve years old?
Answer: The poet’s mother was twelve years old.

5. What does 'all three' use for?
Answer: 'All three' refers to the poet's mother and her two cousins in the photograph.

2. A sweet face...transient feet.

1. Describe the philosophy of the sea as depicted in the poem.
Answer: The sea symbolizes eternity and permanence, in contrast to the temporary human life.

2. Who washed the feet of the girls?
Answer: The sea waves washed the girls' feet.

3. How does the poet describe the mother's face?
Answer: The poet describes her mother’s face as sweet and innocent.

4. When did the poet's mother have a sweet face?
Answer: The poet's mother had a sweet face when she was a young girl.

5. Point out the rhyming words used in the given stanza.
Answer: Rhyming words: feet and sweet.

3. Some twenty...ease of loss.

1. Write the title of the poem from which the above stanza has been taken.
Answer: The title of the poem is "A Photograph".

2. Where did the poet's mother enjoy her holiday?
Answer: She enjoyed her holiday at the sea beach.

3. What was the past for poet's mother?
Answer: The past was her childhood spent happily with her cousins.

4. Why would the poet’s mother laugh?
Answer: She laughed remembering the awkward way they were dressed for the beach.

5. Who were Betty and Dolly?
Answer: Betty and Dolly were the poet’s mother’s cousins.

4. Now she's been ..............silence.

1. Write the name of the poet who has composed the poem from which the above noted lines have been taken.
Answer: The poet is Shirley Toulson, and the poem is "A Photograph".

2. What circumstances is the poet talking about?
Answer: The poet is talking about the death of her mother.

3. What do you understand by 'silence' here?
Answer: 'Silence' refers to the poet’s inability to express her grief and the emptiness left after her mother’s death.

4. How much time has passed since she died?
Answer: About twelve years have passed.

5. Whose death is the poet talking about?
Answer: The poet is talking about her mother’s death.

6. How many years ago had the poetess's mother died?
Answer: The poetess’s mother had died twelve years ago.