A photograph class 11 summary: Photographs are one of the most vivid things in one’s life. They are not just framed cardboard pictures but speak about a zillion memories that were lived during that time and also one can relish those gala and good times by simply having that one just glimpse. In this story a photograph speaks about the happy and cherished moments that the poetess’s mother lived when she was only 12. The ‘photograph’ that is being talked about was taken by the poetess’s uncle when her two cousins Betty, Dolly and her mother went out for a beach holiday. And this photograph capturing thing was preplanned by them.
All the three of them were holding each other’s hands and there was a smile on their pretty faces. The poetess’s mother was the oldest of the three. They went there for paddling on the beach holiday. After twenty-thirty years her mother would reminisce about that very event, the way she enjoyed with her cousins and how did their parents dress them up for the beach holiday. But now that the poet’s mother is not with her she is remembering all those things her mother used to share with her after looking at the picture. There is so much coincidence in the event like the poetess’s mother was 12 only when was the picture taken and now again with the same time gap the poetess is looking at the picture after 12 years but this time she is not having her mother by her side.
And that her mother said that the beach holiday was her mother’s one of the favorite past memories. As it is known by everyone once the person is gone forever it is only the memory that stays forever and the same happened with the poetess. The poetess and her mother both of them lost something which were very dear and was cherished by them which they cannot live ever again. Those unforgettable, sweet and ever vivid memories have remained memories only for lifetime. All the above scenario depict that the poetess has been living alone since her mother died 12 years ago. The pain, loss, mourn, and grief cannot be expressed verbally. For all these years she has been keeping things inside her and feeling her mother’s absence helplessly.
A photograph class 11 theme:
A photograph class 11 summary: The poem revolves around how people fade away and their memories stays forever. The poetess grieves and mourns for the loss for her mother. A pain which cannot be ever replaced with any other thing in this world. The picture shows how her mother was enjoying her early teens without any tension, worries and anxieties. Having only a carefree mind. Her mother was the oldest of all the three cousins. They went out on a beach holiday with their uncle who asked them to pose for the photograph.
The poetess was looking at the picture exactly at the time or the age at which the poetess’s mother was in when the photo was clicked, which is said to have about 12 years. Also both of them lost something which they cherished a lot that included the poetess’ favorite thing to watch was her mother smile and her mother’s favorite pass time was the beach holiday which sadly both of them cannot relive again.
A photograph class 11 summary stanza wise:
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
A photograph class 11 summary line by line Explanation
A photograph class 11 summary: The first stanza of the poem explains that the poetess was looking at an old photograph that had a cardboard as a frame. What she sees is that there were three girls in the frame with more or less of the same age group, ( the two girls mentioned here are the poetess’s mother’s cousin sisters) except the fact the poetess’s mother being the eldest the two of them named Betty and Dolly were holding the poetess’s mother’s hand. All the three of them had smiles on their faces since they were on a beach holiday. This stanza also says that all the three girls went for the boat paddling as well. And clearly states that the poetess’s mother was just 12 when this photograph was clicked.
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.
The above lines in the stanza says that the three girls were standing on the beach and were asked by their uncle to pose for a picture, seeming as if this was preplanned by the sisters. Continuing looking at the picture the poetess looks at her mother’s sweet little face. The poetess’s mother and her sister’s face was all covered with their hair because of the warm breeze blowing on the beach.
This very pretty scenario did for sure grabbed the poetess’s attention as they were quite mesmerizing. Remembering those times this photograph was taken long back when the poetess’s mother was only 12. The age when she had nothing to worry or care about. Hardly did she knew about such things as worries, anxiety and tension but only to enjoy her carefree days. The word ‘terribly transient’ here refers to the age as then they were young and now they have become old with time.
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
Now this very stanza elaborates about when the photograph was taken. As the poetess’s mother used to say her that this was taken way back some twenty-thirty years ago when she was only twelve. Sitting with the poetess and glancing at the photograph she would laugh at it saying her to look at how her cousins were dressed in a funny but cute manner for the beach holiday.
With her past, mine is
her laughter. Both wry
With the labored ease
of loss.
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.
This stanza speaks about all those feelings the poetess and her mother felt for the things they both cherished a lot. The poetess now remembers again that this was one of the most favorite pass times of the her mother which her mother always talked about. Its quite some time that the poetess has lost her mother but still remembers the things her mother told her about the photograph. The much coincident part: the poetess is looking at the photograph 12 years after her mother died which is as same as her mother’s age when the photograph was taken.
Noting the two cherished moments: the poetess’s mother’s favorite pass time was the beach holiday and the poetess’s favorite was see her mother smiling, which unfortunately both of them cannot relive again. Hence both of them lost the most cherished things of their lives. Knowing the fact that the poetess’s mother has also died she grieves and mourns for the death but cannot explain her pain.
A photograph class 11 summary poetic devices:
- Alliteration: my mother’s , stood still, twenty thirty, silence silences
- Oxymoron: labored ease
- Epithet: terribly transient
- Personification: its silence silences, cardboard
A photograph class 11 word meaning:
- Cardboard: a piece of frame used as a base in a photograph
- Paddling: moving through the water along some water body
- Transient: foe a short span
- Snapshot: a picture, a photograph
- Wry: making fun of or mocking
- Silences: absolutely no sound around
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A photograph class 11 summary in short:
A photograph class 11 summary: As the name suggests “a photograph” whosoever reads this might think that this is a story with only happy and gala moments in it but what if I say it consists of mixed feelings i.e., both happy and sad times. This poem talks about all the good times that you capture in your camera, sit back sometime later ,take a glimpse at it and try to relive those memories. The poetess in this poem speaks about how her mother used to share about her favorite pass time when she along with her two sisters namely Betty and Dolly went on a beach holiday with her uncle. He was the one who told them to pose for the photograph and since there were winds blowing all the three girls faces were covered with hair which attracted the poetess the most. Now that the poetess’s mother is not with her she is looking at the picture exactly after 12 years as to age of her mother when the photograph was taken. The poetess grieves and mourns for the loss of her mother.