Wednesday, July 31, 2019
A Photograph-Shirley Toulson Essay
What does the word ââ¬Ëcardboardââ¬â¢ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used? In the poem, the word ââ¬Ëcardboardââ¬â¢ stands for the frame that supports and borders the photograph. The photograph shows the poetââ¬â¢s mother as a twelve-year-old girl with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The word ââ¬Ëcardboardââ¬â¢ has been used to depict that the photograph is many years old. The use of cardboard as a photo frame was common in old times. What has the camera captured? The camera has captured a happy moment from the childhood days of the poetââ¬â¢s mother. The photograph was taken when the poetââ¬â¢s mother (at the age of twelve or so) went to a beach holiday with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The captured picture serves as a preserved memory both for the mother as well as the poet. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you? The lines, ââ¬Ëand the sea, which appears to have changed lessââ¬â¢ depicts that the sea have stayed the same over the years. It has not changed at all. These lines suggest a sharp contrast to the mortal human life. Human life is transitory and temporary whereas the sea symbolizes permanence, immortality and eternity. The poet makes use of the phrase ââ¬Ëterribly transient feetââ¬â¢ to highlight the ephemeral nature of human life. The poetââ¬â¢s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate? The poetââ¬â¢s mother laughed while recalling a moment of her past captured in the photograph. She looks back at her childhood days with nostalgia and recollects her innocent joys. Looking at the picture years later brings in her mind the fond memories. She laughs at the way they were dressed up for the beach holiday. But in the midst of these pleasant memories, lies the pain of loss. The pain comes from the acknowledgement that the lovely days of her childhood will never come back to her. What is the meaning of the line ââ¬Å"Both wry with the labored ease of lossâ⬠? The context of the above lines is the motherââ¬â¢s recollection of her childhood days and the poetââ¬â¢s recollection of her motherââ¬â¢s laughing face. The mother has fond memories of her past but there is a sense of loss in recalling those moments as they make her realize that the good old times of her childhood will never come back. For the poet, the ââ¬Ëlossââ¬â¢ refers to the loss of her mother. She has fond memories of her dead mother but she misses her laughter and her presence that will never return to the poet. Thus, both remember their pasts with a laugh that conceals sadness as none can re-live those lost moments. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they? The first stanza refers to the childhood days of the poetââ¬â¢s mother when she was twelve years old or so. The stanza depicts a photograph of her mother when she went for a beach holiday with her cousins and uncle. The second stanza refers to the poetââ¬â¢s childhood days when her mother had become an adult. It depicts her mother recalling her childhood days while looking at the old photograph of hers (mentioned in the first stanza). In the last stanza, the poetââ¬â¢s adult life is described in which her mother is not with her anymore. She has been dead for almost twelve years. The stanza depicts the poetââ¬â¢s looking at the same photograph and recollecting her motherââ¬â¢s laughter. The loss of her mother puts her in utter grief. She has no words to describe the terrible pain of her motherââ¬â¢s death.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.