“A Photograph” Poem Word Meanings Class 11 English Core

A Photograph Poem Word Meanings: It is a poem by Shirley Toulson that touches the themes of transient life and the power of a photograph in invoking memories. The word meanings given here are divided into two sections: A contextual word meanings section and the other general section containing word meanings of “A Photograph” poem in English and Hindi.

Poem: A Photograph

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.
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.

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.

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.

Word Meanings in Context of the Poem “A Photograph”

1. Cardboard: Refers to a material often used to store or transport photographs. In the poem, the cardboard represents the physical photograph that the speaker is looking at.
2. Paddling: Refers to the act of wading in shallow water, usually in a playful or leisurely manner.
3. Cousins: Refers to the children of one’s aunt or uncle.
4. Transient: Refers to something that is temporary or short-lived.
5. Snapshot: Refers to a quick photograph taken with a camera.
6. Laboured ease of loss: This phrase refers to the bittersweet feeling of remembering a past that is gone forever, which is both difficult to accept and yet somehow comforting in its familiarity.
7. Sea holiday: Refers to a vacation or trip to the seaside.
8. Laughter: In the context of the poem, laughter represents the speaker’s way of dealing with the pain of loss and the memory of their mother.
9. Wry: Refers to a sense of humour that is dry, ironic, or slightly sarcastic.
10. Silence silences: This phrase suggests that the speaker is at a loss for words when it comes to describing the loss of their mother. The silence is so overwhelming that it creates its own sense of emptiness.

Word Meanings in Hindi & English

English meanings:

cardboard – a stiff and thick paper material used for making boxes, posters, etc.
paddling – to walk or play in shallow water
cousins – children of one’s uncle or aunt
terribly – extremely
transient – temporary
snapshot – a quick photograph taken without preparation
laugh – to make the sound of happiness or joy
snapshot – a quick photograph taken without preparation
laboured – done with effort and difficulty
ease – comfort, relaxation
loss – the state of no longer having something that was once possessed
dead – no longer alive
circumstance – a fact or condition that influences a situation
silence – absence of sound or noise

Hindi meanings:

cardboard – कार्डबोर्ड (एक कठोर और मोटा कागज जो बॉक्स, पोस्टर आदि बनाने के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है)
paddling – पानी में चलना या खेलना
cousins – मामा या मौसी के बच्चे
terribly – बहुत ही
transient – अस्थायी जो हमेशा न रहे
snapshot – कैमरा से ली गई फोटोग्राफी
laugh – खुशी या आनंद की आवाज़ मतलब हँसना
laboured – कठिनाई और परिश्रम के साथ किया गया
ease – आराम, ढीला या आसानी
loss – कुछ जो पहले होता था लेकिन अब नहीं है
dead – जिसकी जान नहीं है, मृत
circumstance – एक तथ्य या स्थिति जो परिस्थिति या हालत को प्रभावित करती है
silence – शांति, सुनसान, चुप्पी छा जाना