Question

(10 And the sea, which appears to have changed less
Washed their terribly transient feet
(a) The change in the sea contrast with
which other change? How ?
(b) Where is the sea depicted? Who on what
else is to be seen by the sea ?
(c) Which transience is the speaker talking
about ? Why does she call it
terrible ?​

Answer 1

Answer:

And the sea, which appears to have changed less,

Washed their terribly transient feet'

Transient means something which is temporary or short-lived. Here, when the author says terribly transient feet, she refers to the ever changing imprints of the feet left on the sea sand. The sea never appears to change but the human life is transient. It's never constant, it will see both ups and downs.

Now you may ask why would she say so?

If you read the poem further you'll know.

After about twenty or thirty years the poet’s mother would look at the photograph laughing nostalgically and remembering the past. She would appreciate the dress worn by her cousins Betty and Dolly. The sea holiday belonged to the past of her mother and the poet still remembers how her mother would laugh looking at the snap shot. For the poet both these bring great sadness and an acute sense of loss. Her mother died 12 years ago and now the poet has nothing to say about this circumstance of the photograph.