Question

’A Photograph’ conveys the idea that human life is subject to change in terms of age and circumstances. Compile your understanding of the different stages/phases of life as depicted by Shirley Toulson in the poem.

Answer 1

Answer:

The first stanza depicts the happy and carefree days of the poetess' mother when she was a young girl. That is her childhood. The second stanza depicts the middle age when the poetess' mother has forgotten to laugh because of the depressing circumstances. The last stanza depicts a stage when the poetess mourn's the loss of her mother in a symbolic way. The mother's loss is not only a physical one but one of her identity, which leaves the poetess speechless