Question

Shory summary of the poem photograph by shirley toulson

Answer 1

Shirley Toulson’s poem “The Photograph” is a tribute to her mother. The poet is looking at an old photograph of her mother when her mother was a little girl. Photographs capture a moment in a time and also the emotions felt when the photograph was taken. The photograph shows her mother playing on a beach accompanied with her two cousins. Her mother is the elder one among the two and she is holding the hands of her other cousins. The weather was windy at that time and their hair was flying on their faces when the uncle took the photograph. All the three children had a happy and smiling expression on their face.
The poet expresses the view that her mother had a sweet face when the poet was not even born. The sea washes away the transient feet of the children. ‘Transient feet’ refers to the changeable nature of human beings i.e. ‘feet’ too will change with time. The sea is unchangeable and it has washed away the footprints on the sand. Similarly, the photograph and the memories have not changed while the time has changed and so has the poet’s mother who is no more.
The poet recalls that when her mother used to take a look at the photograph after thirty-forty years, she would laugh hard. By that time, her mother was married and she had a daughter of her own. The poet’s mother would laugh and say how her cousins Betty and Dolly were dressed up for the beach.
The sea holiday was the mother’s past and her laughter was the poet’s. There had been huge changes in the lives of the mother and the daughter. Both the mother and the daughter had learned to accept the losses their fate has imbibed them with.
The poet’s mother is no more and the silence of the little girl in the photograph has silenced the poet. She is left without words. The photograph reminds her of her mother. Shirley Toulson feels sad seeing the photograph of her dead mother while her mother had derived a sense of happiness and laughter when she used to see it. This feeling of loss has silenced the poet.

Answer 2

the poet is looking at her mother's photograph which is indeed on old one. with it she can see how her mother looked when she was a little girl of twelve. the photo shows her on a beach with her two cousins bitty and dolly. it might have seen windy at that time that their hair was flying on their face whaen the uncle took the photograph. all the 3 as smiling through their flying hair . looking at the photograph, the poet says that her mother had a sweet face but it was the time befor the poet was born. the poet says the sea has changed only a little but change has come about who's feet it was washing .

after the 30 - 40 year mother would take out the photograph and take a look at it. by that time she was married and had a daughter. she would laugh a little. a hough change has come about her and she is no longer that small innocent girl of 12.


after some years the poets mother dies. now the poet remembers her mother's laughter for her it is a thing of past .

i think it will help you.