Poem 1 - A Photograph

This article will help you to learn about the summary, characters and theme of the NCERT Class 11 English Hornbill – A Photograph. It will help you to understand the gist of the poem and the important phrases used.

Summary

In this poem, the photograph on the cardboard shows two girl cousins – Betty and Dolly who went paddling in the sea. The girls were facing the camera and seemed to be happy enjoying the waves of the sea. The poetess’s mother was twelve years old in that picture. The poetess describes the smiling faces of the three girls facing the camera. She sees her mother’s sweet face which was before the poetess was born. This stanza describes the young age where the girls are young and the description of nature. She feels that nature has changed less than her mother’s face which has aged with the passage of time.

After twenty to thirty years, the poetess’s mother laughs looking at the picture. She laughs seeing how her cousins had dressed for the beach. She recollects her childhood days and laughs at the sea holiday and their dresses. This holiday was past for her and her laugh is the past for the poetess. Her mother’s laugh is a memory she carries in her heart. She recalls how her mother laughed looking at the picture. Both the events are past depending upon the time gap.

The present holds the poetess with the grief of her mother’s loss. She feels that her mother’s laughter is something of her past and recollects her memories and that the situation cannot be described in words. The silence speaks for itself. She can only live the memories of her mother and her sweet laughter.

In this poem, the three stanzas represent different stages of life – childhood, adulthood and old age. The poem also highlights the importance of memories that can only be remembered as the people no longer remain. It shows the importance of living in the present as life is unpredictable. Nothing can escape the sickle of time. The poem beautifully describes the relationship between a daughter and mother. It conveys that the loss of loved ones is unbearable and the memories never fade. The poem focuses on the passage of time and how things gradually change.

The poem is written in a simple style and is very easy to understand. It does not have any complex terms and grammar. The style of the writing is kept simple to describe the emotions clearly without making the concept complex.

The poetess has brilliantly used a simple picture to bring out the emotions of her mother who is no longer with her. She uses the phases of life to describe how time changes everything.

To know more on NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill ‘A Photograph’, and for ‘A Photograph’ NCERT Solutions, refer to A Photograph Class 11 PDF.

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