A PHOTOGRAPH
~Summary~
-by ShirleyToulson
Stanza- 1
"The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousins went paddling,
Each one holding one of my mother's hands,
And she the big girl - some twelve years or so."
Explanation:An old photograph of the poet's mother which was pasted oncardboard makes the poet recall
the old memories of her mother's childhood. The photograph is a depiction of her mother's enjoyable momentsat
a sea-beach with her two cousins who were younger to her. They were walking in shallow water with bare feet near
the beach. The mother was standing in the middle and holding hands of her two cousins, who were standing on
each side. The poet's mother was twelve years old then. It shows that the photograph was very old but the poet
has kept it very carefully as it reminded her of sweet memories of her mother's childhood. The photograph also
indicates how enjoyable her mother's childhood was.
Stanza-2
“All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face,
My mother's, that was before I was born.
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet."
Explanation:The photograph shows that all three girls - the poet's mother and her two cousins - stood still
and smiled at the camera when their uncle clicked their photograph at the sea beach. As the weather was windy
at that time, their hair was flying over their smiling faces. The expression on the faces of the poet's mother and
her cousins was that of happiness and enjoyment. The mother was looking very pretty at that time and the photograph
was taken a long time ago.Everything has changed since then, her mother grew up; now she was dead and the poet was
reviving her memories. The only thing that has remained unchanged is the sea which was washing the feet of all three girls.
The mention of the word 'transient indicates the ever changing lives of human beings as well as the shortness of their stay
on this world, in contrast to the eternality of nature. The girls's life changed drastically during this period but the sea has
not changed. The stanza beautifully explains the transient nature of human beings.
Stanza-3
"Some twenty-thirty - years later
She'd laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
And Dolly," she'd say, "and look how they
Dressed us for the beach." The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss."
Explanation:Even 20-30 years later the mother would look at the photograph and laugh nostalgically
remembering the happy memories of her past. Mother would look at the photograph and comment on
the dresses worn by the cousins Dolly, Betty and herself. Sea holiday was her mother's past and her mother's
laughter has become a thing of the past for the poet as her mother was now dead. The poet still remembers
how her mother would laugh at the photograph remembering the sea-holiday with a fondness as well as a
sense of loss because that time would never come back. In the same way poet feels nostalgic thinking about
her mother and her laughter which has become a thing of the past.The words 'laboured' and 'ease' are opposite
to each other, but describe the same entity, loss.
Stanza- 4
"Now she's been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all.
Its silence silences."
Explanation:The poet recalls that it is nearly twelve years since her mother died. The poet is consumed with
grief but is left with no words to express her loss and pain. The poet is totally absorbed in memories of her
dead mother. The painful silence of this situation leaves the poet speechless. The poet can feel the grief but
is unable to express it through words. The silence caused by death makes the atmosphere gloomy, where no
one is able to utter words.