A Photograph Poem Summary Analysis by Shirley Toulson

What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote within the poem? Why has this word been used?

In the poem, the word ‘cardboard’ stands for the body that supports and borders the photograph. The photograph shows the poet’s mother as a twelve-year-old girl with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The word ‘cardboard’ has been used to depict that the photograph is a few years old. The use of cardboard as a photo frame was widespread in old instances.

What has the digital camera captured? The digicam has captured a happy second from the childhood days of the poet’s mother.

The photograph was taken when the poet’s mother (at the age of twelve or so) went to a beach vacation with two of her cousins, Betty and Dolly. The captured image serves as a preserved memory each for the mom in addition to the poet.

What has not changed over the years? Does this counsel one thing to you? The strains, ‘and the ocean, which appears to have modified less’ depicts that the sea have stayed the same through the years.

It has not modified in any respect. These traces counsel a pointy distinction to the mortal human life. Human life is transitory and momentary whereas the sea symbolizes permanence, immortality and eternity. The poet makes use of the phrase ‘terribly transient feet’ to highlight the ephemeral nature of human life.

The poet’s mother laughed on the snapshot. What did this snicker indicate? The poet’s mother laughed while recalling a second of her previous captured within the photograph.

She looks again at her childhood days with nostalgia and recollects her innocent joys. Looking at the image years later brings in her thoughts the fond reminiscences. She laughs at the method they had been dressed up for the seaside vacation. But within the midst of those pleasant memories, lies the pain of loss. The pain comes from the acknowledgement that the stunning days of her childhood will never come back to her.

What is the which means of the road “Both wry with the labored ease of loss”? The context of the above strains is the mother’s recollection of her childhood days and the poet’s recollection of her mother’s laughing face. The mother has fond reminiscences of her past but there’s a sense of loss in recalling these moments as they make her notice that the good old times of her childhood won’t ever come again. For the poet, the ‘loss’ refers to the loss of her mom. She has fond reminiscences of her useless mom but she misses her laughter and her presence that may by no means return to the poet. Thus, each remember their pasts with a laugh that conceals disappointment as none can re-live those lost moments.

The three stanzas depict three completely different phases. What are they? The first stanza refers to the childhood days of the poet’s mom when she was twelve years old or so. The stanza depicts a photograph of her mom when she went for a seashore holiday with her cousins and uncle. The second stanza refers to the poet’s childhood days when her mother had turn into an grownup. It depicts her mother recalling her childhood days while trying at the old photograph of hers (mentioned in the first stanza). In the last stanza, the poet’s adult life is described in which her mom isn’t along with her anymore. She has been dead for nearly twelve years. The stanza depicts the poet’s looking on the identical photograph and recollecting her mother’s laughter. The lack of her mom puts her in utter grief. She has no words to describe the horrible ache of her mother’s death.