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What change does the poet reflect upon in Stanza 3?
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The poet reflects on how her mother used to laugh at the old photograph and their childhood dressing.
What does the final stanza imply about the poet's feelings?
The final stanza implies a feeling of finality and resignation to the silence and emptiness after her mother's death.
What emotional impact does the poet describe in the fifth stanza?
The poet describes a deep sense of loss and silence following her mother's death.
What is the main theme of the poem 'A Photograph' by Shirley Toulson?
The main theme is nostalgia, loss, and the transient nature of life.
How does the poet feel about her mother’s laughter according to the summary?
The poet feels a sense of joy and nostalgia when remembering her mother's laughter.
What is the significance of the line ‘The cardboard shows me how it was’?
The line signifies how the photograph serves as a portal to memories of the past.
What imagery is used in the first stanza to describe the poet's mother's childhood scene?
Imagery includes the mother's hair flying and her smiling at the camera held by an uncle while paddling at the beach.
How does the poet use the sea as a literary device in the second stanza?
The poet contrasts the unchanged sea with the transient nature of human life.
Explain the reflective mood found in the fourth stanza of 'A Photograph.'
The poet’s mother reminisces about her past and finds joy in old memories, often laughing at how they were dressed.
Discuss the importance of nostalgia in the poem.
Nostalgia is a critical theme, portraying the longing for the past and the emotions tied to memories.
What does the 'sweet face' in the second stanza symbolize?
It symbolizes the youthful beauty and innocence of the poet’s mother.
In the poem 'A Photograph,' how does the poet describe the photograph in the initial lines?
The poet describes the photograph as being mounted on a cardboard, showing the past.
Describe the use of personification in the poem 'A Photograph.'
Personification is used when the cardboard (photograph) is described as showing the past.
What is the oxymoron present in the poem and its significance?
The oxymoron 'laboured ease' signifies the contradictory feelings of effort and ease.
What poetic device is used in 'terribly transient feet' and what does it signify?
The device is a transferred epithet; it signifies the fleeting nature of life.
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