Class 11th English

Hornbill 2. What has the camera captured?

Lesson 1 (Poem) Answer:
A Photograph The camera has captured the poet’s mother and her two cousins, Betty
By Shirley Toulson and Dolly, on the beach. They went for paddling where her mother’s
uncle captured the photo in between the moment. Her mother was around
twelve years old and was in the middle. She was holding the hands of her
Summary cousins who were on the side of her. It was her mother’s favourite past
memories.
The poem is a tribute to the poet’s mother. She is looking at an old
photograph of her mother which has a frame of cardboard. The picture 3. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something
has three girls in which the middle one is the oldest and tallest. to you?
It is her mother when she was twelve years old or so. Beside her, on both Answer:
sides are her two cousins, Betty and Dolly, who are holding her hands and The lines ‘And the sea, which appears to have changed less’ depicts that
are younger than her. They went for paddling on a beach holiday. Her the sea which touched her mother’s feet is the one which has not changed
uncle took the photograph then. The poet could not help but notice her over the years. Whereas, her mother and her cousins grew older. The sea
mother’s sweet face. The sea touched her terribly transient feet which symbolises eternity and immortality. Human being has a life span and has
depicted that she changed over the years and the sea remained the same. to die one day. Life is not permanent. The poet is sad about her mother’s
After twenty-thirty years, her mother would laugh at the photograph. She demise twelve years ago and her laugh is her favourite past memory.
would make the poet look at the photograph and tell her how their parents
would dress them up for the beach holiday. The beach holiday was her 4. The poet‟s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh
mother’s favourite past memories while her laugh was the poet’s indicate?
favourite memory. Both of them lost something which they cherished a Answer:
lot and yet cannot live that moment again. Those sweet moments were The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot recalling her favourite past
memories now. Now, the poet’s mother had been dead for the past twelve memories. She looked back at the photograph and remembered how their
years, which is the same number as of her age when the photograph was parents would dress them up for the beach holiday. Her laugh indicated
taken back then. She cannot express the grief that she has from her her remembering the innocent days and the nostalgia feeling. Behind the
mother’s absence. laugh is also a feeling of pain that those days won’t be back.

Question Answers
5. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease
Think it out of loss.”
Answer:
1. What does the word „cardboard‟ denote in the poem? Why has this the above lines means that the poet’s mother felt pain whenever she saw
word been used? the old photograph because the innocent childhood days would never be
Answer: back. Those are just the memories. While the poet has lost his mother
In the poem, the word ‘cardboard’ means a frame which supports the twelve years ago and she misses her a lot and recalls her laughing and
photograph. This word had been used in the poem because the picture is pointing out the outfits they used to wear at the beach holidays. Both of
very old when the cardboard was used as a photo frame. them lost something.

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6. What does “this circumstance” refer to? 2. What can you say about the childhood of the poet‟s mother?
Answer: Answer:
The words ‘this circumstance’ refers to the present situation of the poet The childhood of the poet’s mother must have been filled with fun and
which is the painful memories of her mother who have been deceased happiness. This is clear from the snapshot of the sea holiday. They are
twelve years ago. While looking at the old photograph of her mother’s enjoying their holiday.
childhood makes her miss her more. She remembers her laughing and The mother of the poet laughs when looking at the snapshot even after
how the photograph was her favourite past memory. many years have passed since the sea holiday. All this shows us that it
was a very pleasant childhood.
7. The three stanzas depict three different phases. What are they?
Answer: 3. What moment does the photograph depict?
the first stanza depicts her mother’s childhood days when she was twelve Answer:
years old or so. It talks about a photograph of her with her two cousins on The photograph clicked by. the uncle of the poet’s mother depicts a sea-
a beach holiday. Her uncle took the photograph. Her mother changed over holiday being enjoyed by the poet’s mother and her two cousins Dolly
the years as she grew older. While the sea which touched their feet in that and Betty. They are full of smiles in their beach dresses, not worrying
beach holiday hadn’t changed over the years. about their flying hair.

In the second stanza, the poet talks about her childhood days when her 4. Were the three cousins camera friendly? Who was taking their
mother used to look at the photograph and recalls everything mentioned photograph?
in the first stanza. Answer:
The three cousins appear to be camera-friendly as they stood at the sea
In the last stanza, the poet shares that her mother is dead as many years beach without moving when the uncle took the photograph.
ago as was her age in the photograph. She died twelve years ago. The
poet is recalling her mother’s old memories while looking at the 5. The poet‟s mother would laugh looking at the photograph. Why?
photograph. She is in pain and misses her deceased mother. She has no Answer:
words to describe her grief. The poet’s mother was in middle age when she looked at that photograph
and used to laugh remembering those golden days of her childhood,
enjoying a sea holiday. She would also laugh at the beach dresses which
Extract based questions looked weird after many years.

1. The poet talks about a particular cardboard. How is it special to 6. What impression do you form about the poet‟s mother?
her? Answer:
Answer: The poet’s mother was very pretty at the age of twelve. She enjoyed the
The poet talks about a particular cardboard to which is pasted her sea holiday. This is indicated by the happiness that she gets in middle age
mother’s photograph taken at the sea beach. The mother seems to have after looking at her childhood photograph.
been enjoying her sea holiday. The photograph is special as she has lost
her mother sometime back and looking at the photograph makes her
happy as well as sad.

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7. The sea „appears to have changed less‟ in comparison to the three 12. Comment on the tone of the poem.
girls who enjoyed the sea holiday. Comment. Answer:
Answer: The tone of the poem is that of sadness. Shirley Toulson looks at an old
The poet compares the mortal nature of human beings with the eternal photograph of her mother and is sadly reminded of her mother who is no
nature of the sea or natural objects. With the passage of time, the poet’s more. She mentions about death of her mother indirectly only but this
mother died but the vast sea has remained as it was since the photograph photograph has made her speechless and silent.
was taken.
8. Why does the poet feel nostalgic? Long Answer Type
Answer:
The poet sees an old photograph of her mother in which she was standing 1. The poet has paid a tribute to her mother. Similar instances can be
on the beach with her two cousins — Dolly and Betty. They were seen in „The Portrait of a Lady‟. This made you think that writing
enjoying themselves. The photograph captured her mother’s sweet and about a loved one is much better than building their statues or
smiling face. At that time, she was around twelve years old. The poet drawing their portraits. Comment.
remembers how her mother used to laugh whenever she looked at that old Answer:
photograph. But time has passed and now the poet has been left only with Many writers have paid tributes to their loved ones through beautiful
the memories of her mother. Thus, she feels nostalgic writing. Khushwant Singh gave an adorable description about his
9. What does the poet say about her mother‟s face? grandmother through his story. Shirley Toulson remembered her mother
Answer: through her heart-touching poem.
The poet remarks that her mother had a sweet face, smiling and caring for In my opinion, writing about a loved one is much better than building
her cousins who were younger to her. The poet also says that her mother their statues or drawing their portraits. One can never tell the true
used to enjoy these sea holidays, and would laugh heartily, later on when personality of a person just by looking at their sculptures or portraits. One
she saw the photograph. can never know about the amazing time someone has spent with them.
10. How does the poet react to her past? Why has she not mentioned That magic can only be created by words.
anything about her mother‟s death? Words stand the passage of time, whereas sculptures or portraits may get
Answer: damaged by it. Hence, words are the best way by which anyone can pay a
The poet remembers with sadness her mother’s laughter which she cannot tribute to one’s loved ones.
hear any more. The poet is full of a sense of loss and does not mention
about her mother’s death, as it may bring more gloom to her and make 2. “Its silence silences,” writes Shirley Toulson. The loss of her
her speechless. mother has silenced her. Do you think that this attitude of the poet is
11. Does the poet appear to be grieving? the right attitude to live life? Why/ why not?
Answer: Answer:
The poet is certainly filled with a sense of loss. Her mother is long dead There is no doubt that Shirley Toulson has given a very touching tribute
and though the poet has adjusted to her absence, she is not able to to her mother by remembering her through her verses. It is apparent that
completely overcome her loss. She remembers how it used to be when her she is very much nostalgic and is grieving at the loss of her mother.
mother was still with her. The last line is an apt depiction of her state of Though she says that over the years she has adjusted to her mother’s
mind. The loss has filled her life with silence. absence, but circumstances have surely filled her with silence and a deep
void.

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We cannot deny that it hurts very much to lose someone, but the attitude independence and autonomy. It is very important on a mother’s part to
shown by the poet at the end is not the right way to live your life. Life offer choices to the child. This makes the child feel that he/she is smart
will keep going on even if we stop to lament our loss. enough to make choices. The mother’s thoughts nourish a child’s mind
Loss is universal. It is the law of nature. We cannot let ourselves get and soul as her personal attention nourishes a child’s body. She is a
depressed just because of this. It is also understandable that we will child’s first teacher. She tries to imbibe such values that may help a child
grieve. However, grieving to the point of hampering the normal lifelong.
functioning of our lives is not acceptable.
Extract Based MCQs
3. Happy moments are short-lived but provide a lifetime memory.
They provide a cushion to bear the difficulties which the future has in Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions by
store for you. Comment in the light of the poem „A Photograph‟ by choosing the correct option.
Shirley Toulson.
Answer: 1. “The cardboard shows me how it was
Our life is a mixture of happy as well as adverse times. We must learn to When the two girl cousins went paddling.
move on with the help of those happy memories which provided us with Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,
so much enjoyment and happiness. As life is not a bed of roses, everyone And she the big girl - some twelve years or so."
at one stage or another is likely to face difficulties.
(i) „It‟ here refers to
At the time of difficulties, happy moments can give us solace and fill us (a) the poet’s childhood (b) the beach holiday
with positivity which is required during difficult times. Happy moments (c) the family bonding (d) the poet's mother’s childhood
will certainly provide us with a hope that, as happy moments are short- Answer: (d) the poet's mother’s childhood
lived, so are difficult times. One must learn to cope with the situation.
The memories of happy times can provide us a cushion to bear difficulties (ii) The two girl cousins are
with patience and peace. (a) Dolly and Betty (b) the poet and her sister
(c) the poet's mother's best friends (d) the poet's grandmother's
4. „Both wry with the laboured ease of loss.‟ The poet is missing her Answer: (a) Dolly and Betty
mother. What is the role of the mother in forming the personality of a
child? (iii) Choose the correct option with respect to the two statements
Answer: given below :
A mother’s role in shaping the personality of a child is of paramount Statement 1 The poet is sad and nostalgic.
importance. The child watches his/ her mother intently and learns about Statement 2 The poet reminisces the simplicity reflected by her
the world and how to react to it at the initial stages. The mother can mother.
play an important role by making the child to deal constructively with
mistakes, forgive others, handle frustration, show kindness and share (a) Statement 1 can be inferred but statement 2 cannot be inferred.
love. (b) Statement 1 cannot be inferred but statement 2 cannot be inferred.
When a mother is nurturing and caring the child, it will develop a healthy (c) Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
bond with not only the mother but will be willing to form new (d) Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
relationships with others. Children and adults both want a sense of Answer: (a) Statement 1 can be inferred but statement 2 cannot be
inferred.
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(iv) The „cardboard‟ as a photograph indicates that 3. “Some twenty-thirty- years later
(a) it was hand decorated She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
(b) it carries a beautiful memory And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
(c) it had been repurposed as a photo frame Dressed us for the beach. “The sea holiday
(d) it was made during difficult times Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
Answer: (a) it was hand decorated With the laboured ease of loss”

2. “All three stood still to smile through their hair (i) Who is „she‟ in the extract?
At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face, (a) Poet (b) Poet’s mother (c) Betty (d) Dolly
My mother's, that was before I was born. Answer: (b) Poet’s mother
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet.” (ii) Why is she laughing?
1. Because she finds their beach dresses funny.
(i) Through „smile through their hair‟, the poetess indicates that 2. Because somebody cracked a joke.
(a) it was a windy day (b) the girls were having fun. 3. Because she laughed quite often.
(c) the faces of the girls were covered with their hair (d) All of the above 4. Because she is making fun of her cousins.
Answer: (d) All of the above
(a) Only 1 (b) Both 1 and 2 (c) Only 3 (d) Only 2
(ii) What is the significance of the given lines? Answer: (a) Only 1
(a) It indicates that the mother is dead.
(b) It contrasts mortality of humans with immortality of the sea. (iii) “The sea holiday was her past, mine is her laughter”, these lines
(c) It depicts the change that comes with time. indicate
(d) It shows that the poetess is missing her mother. (a) the poet is remembering her childhood.
Answer: (b) It contrasts mortality of humans with immortality of the (b) the poet is remembering her mother's childhood.
sea. (c) the poet is grieving at the absence of her mother.
(d) the poet is missing the sea holiday.
(iii) Which literary device is used in the given lines? Answer: (c) the poet is grieving at the absence of her mother.
(a) Alliteration (b) Simile (c) Personification (d) Paradox
Answer: (a) Alliteration (iv) „Laboured ease‟ indicates
(a) resignation to reality
(iv) The tone of the poet here is primarily a combination of …….… (b) difficulty in coping
and …........... (c) regularity of loss
(d) a combination of nostalgia and sorrow
1. apprehension 2. Disappointment 3. regret Answer: (b) difficulty in coping
5. dejection 4. Nostalgia 6. despair

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4 (c) 5 and 6 (d) 4 and 6

Answer: (c) 5 and 6

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 MCQs
6. Which material was the frame of the photograph made of?
1. Who is the poet/poetess of the poem „A Photograph‟?
(A) Cardboard
(A) Shirley Toulson
(B) Wood
(B) Rudyard Kipling
(C) Steel
(C) Elizabeth Jennings
(D) Plastic
(D) Markus Natten
Answer: (A) Cardboard
Answer: (A) Shirley Toulson
7. Who are on both sides of her mother?
2. What is the poem „A Photograph‟ about?
(A) Cousins, Betty and Dolly
(A) About poet’s childhood memories
(B) Parents
(B) tribute to the poet’s mother
(C) Cousins, Dolly and Adam
(C) Poet’s photograph
(D) Friends
(D) Poet’s father
Answer: (A) Cousins, Betty and Dolly
Answer: (B) tribute to the poet’s mother
8. What are the three of them doing in the photograph?
3. What was the age of the poet‟s mother when the photograph was
(A) playing
taken?
(B) standing beside house
(A) eleven years old
(C) holding hands
(B) thirteen years old
(D) holding hands and went for paddling
(C) twelve years old
Answer: (D) holding hands and went for paddling
(D) fourteen year old
Answer: (C) twelve years old
9. Who took the photograph of her mother with her cousin?
(A) Her grandfather
4. When did her mother die ?
(B) Her uncle
(A) two years ago
(C) Her mother’s friend
(B) five years ago
(D) Her grandmother
(C) thirteen years ago
Answer: (B) Her uncle
(D) twelve years ago
Answer: (D) twelve years ago
10. What does „Terribly Transient Feet‟ mean in the poem?
(A) her feet represent the mother, who changed with time while the
5. How many people were in the photograph?
sea remained the same
(A) two girls
(B) temporary situation
(B) three girls
(C) age is temporary
(C) two girls and one boy
(D) None of the above
(D) only her mother
Answer: (A) her feet represent the mother, who changed with
Answer: (B) three girls
time while the sea remained the same

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11. After how many years did her mother laugh on seeing 16. What Oxymoron literary device was used in the poem?
the photograph? (A) Terribly transient
(A) twenty-one (B) Through their
(B) twenty-three (C) Both wry
(C) twelve (D) Laboured ease
(D) twenty-five Answer: (D) Laboured ease
Answer: (B) twenty-three
17. What Epithet literary device was used in the poem?
12. What was the favourite memory of her mother? (A) Terribly transient
(A) beach holidays (B) Through their
(B) school memories (C) Both wry
(C) vacations (D) Laboured ease
(D) None of the above Answer: (A) Terribly transient
Answer: (A) beach holidays
18. How many phases were depicted in the poem by the poet?
13. What was the favourite memory of the poet? (A) one
(A) her mother’s memories (B)two
(B) her mother’s laughter (C) three
(C) her own vacation memories (D) four
(D) her childhood memories Answer: (C) three
Answer: (B) her mother’s laughter

14. What would the mother show to her daughter while showing her 19. What was the last phase in the poem?
the photograph? (A) after her mother died
(A) how her parents dressed her for the beach (B)after she grown up
(B) her cousins (C) after her mother grown up
(C) her own childhood photograph (D) None of the above
(D) the background Answer: (A) after her mother died
Answer: (A) how her parents dressed her for the beach
20. What does she feel in the last phase?
15. What is the meaning of the word „wry‟? (A) pain and grief
(A) ironic (B) happy and nostalgic
(B) cry (C) sad and nostalgic
(C) sad (D) pain and nostalgic
(D) None of the above Answer: (A) pain and grief
Answer: (A) ironic

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