Class 11 English - BIHAR
Poetry: A Photograph
The chapter 'A Photograph' by Shirley Toulson is a poignant poem prescribed for Class 11 English in the Bihar Board (BSEB) curriculum. It explores the themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the deep grief of losing a loved one. The poet reflects on an old cardboard photograph of her mother enjoying a sea holiday with her cousins long before the poet was born. Years later, her mother is no more, leaving the poet in a silence that is quiet and painful. This chapter is vital for board exams as it tests students' comprehension of poetic devices, emotional undertones, and textual analysis.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Elegiac Tone
The poem is an elegy, a sad poem expressing sorrow and lamentation for the death of the poet's mother.
Transience of Human Life
It contrasts the short-lived human existence with the enduring nature of nature, particularly the eternal sea which has 'changed less' compared to the mortals.
Transferred Epithet
A poetic device used in the line 'terribly transient feet', where the epithet 'terribly' actually describes the human beings whose lives are short, not their feet.
Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds at the start of nearby words, such as 'stood still' and 'silence surrounds'.
Oxymoron
The use of contradictory terms together, seen in the phrase 'laboured ease' which describes the difficult task of accepting loss.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Bihar Board (BSEB) Class 11 English examinations, this chapter typically carries around 4 to 6 marks. Common question types include reference to context (stanza explanation), short answer questions focusing on the central theme, and questions identifying poetic devices used by the author.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the cardboard in the poem refer to?
The cardboard refers to the stiff paper backing on which the old photograph of the poet's mother and her cousins was pasted.
What has the camera captured in the photograph?
The camera has captured a moment of the poet's mother as a young girl of about twelve, enjoying a sea holiday with her two girl cousins, Betty and Dolly.
Why is the poet silent at the end of the poem?
The poet is silent because she is overwhelmed by the painful grief of her mother's death, and the photograph's memories leave her with nothing to say.
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