Question

Write a critical appreciation of the poem 'A Photograph' .

Answer 1

Critical Analysis of A Photograph

This poem seems to be a simple one at its surface, but it is certain that it has risen out of very complex emotions. There is the bitterness of loss, the sweet memories of the past, the realization of the brevity of human life, and the inability to justify death. The poet has had a very difficult time dealing with her mother’s death. Perhaps she had been very close to her mother. That certainly seems to be the case going by this poem. It is clear that her mother used to share her innermost thoughts with the poet. The vice versa must have been true as well. In order to cope with this great loss, the poet takes recourse to all the wonderful memories she has of her mother, as well as old photographs of her mother and her extended family. The photograph and thee memories serve her well. For just a few moments, she finds relief by looking at her mother’s sweet face. This makes her realize that life is short, and hence, we must cherish every moment we get to spend with our loved ones. She takes consolation from the fact that her mother had no great regrets about her own life. Even after all this, the poet cannot justify why her mother had to die and leave her behind. Death is an unavoidable circumstance. As soon as man is born, he is also condemned to a death sentence. We are all aware of this theoretically. Yet when we see someone close to us dying, we feel that God has been unjust to us. This is exactly what the poet feels. However, she is unable to vocalize what effect her mother’s death has had on her own. She only says that it has left her speechless.