NCERT Solutions for English Hornbill Class 11 Chapter 1 – A Photograph (Poem)
Poetry in the Class 11 Hornbill textbook begins with A Photograph, a deeply moving poem by Shirley Toulson that speaks to the hearts of students in a way that very few literary pieces can. If you have ever looked at an old family photograph and felt a rush of memories and emotions, you already understand the core of this poem before even reading it. The poem deals with loss, memory, nostalgia, and the strange silence that death leaves behind. For students preparing for their English exams, this poem is especially important because it combines emotional depth with literary devices that examiners love to ask about. Must check NCERT Solutions for class 11 English and NCERT solutions for class 11 for all subjects.
Questions on imagery, tone, themes, and the meaning of specific stanzas are commonly asked in both school and pre-board examinations. Getting the right answers is important, but understanding why those answers are correct will help you write far better responses under exam pressure. At Myclass24, we have crafted solutions that do exactly that — they do not just give you the answer, they walk you through the logic so you genuinely understand the poem. Spend time with this page, read the analysis carefully, and your confidence in tackling poetry questions will grow significantly.
Download PDF – NCERT Solutions for English Hornbill Class 11 Chapter 1 A Photograph (Poem)
Get the complete PDF of NCERT Solutions for A Photograph from Myclass24. Includes stanza-wise explanation, question answers, and important literary devices — ideal for last-minute revision.
A Photograph – Chapter Overview, Key Facts & Analysis
A Photograph is a short but emotionally powerful poem written by Shirley Toulson, a British author and poet. It is the first poem in the Hornbill textbook for Class 11 and is structured around a single black-and-white photograph of the poet's mother as a young girl. The poem has no fixed rhyme scheme, reflecting the irregular, unpredictable nature of grief itself.
Structure of the Poem
The poem is divided into three stanzas, each representing a different time frame and emotional register.
| Stanza | Time Period | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Stanza 1 | Past (mother's childhood) | The photograph — three girls on a beach holiday |
| Stanza 2 | Poet's childhood (recent past) | Mother laughing at the old photograph |
| Stanza 3 | Present | Silence — the mother is dead; grief is wordless |
Stanza-wise Summary
Stanza 1 – The Photograph The poem opens with a description of an old photograph. The poet's mother, as a young girl of about twelve, stands with her two cousins — Betty and Dolly — on a beach. They are holding her hands. All three are laughing at the waves. A man, presumably the poet's uncle, has taken the photograph. The scene is full of life, joy, and innocence.
Stanza 2 – The Mother's Laughter Years later, the poet recalls her mother looking at this very photograph and laughing. She laughed at the way they all dressed — in their terribly cut swimsuits. This laughter itself has now become a memory. Both the sea holiday and the mother's laughter have "transient" (temporary) qualities.
Stanza 3 – Silence and Grief In the present, the mother has been dead for many years. The poet says that loss is "silence" — she cannot find words to describe what she feels. The poem ends with this wordless grief, which is itself a profound statement.
Key Themes
| Theme | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Loss and Grief | Central theme — the poem mourns the death of the poet's mother |
| The Passage of Time | Three different time periods are woven together to show how time moves relentlessly |
| Memory and Nostalgia | A photograph triggers a cascade of memories |
| Transience of Life | Both joy and people are temporary |
| The Inadequacy of Language | The poet finds no words for grief — silence speaks louder |
Important Literary Devices
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery | "The sea holiday / Was her past, mine is her laughter" | Creates vivid picture of time passing |
| Alliteration | "Terribly transient feet" | Emphasises the fleeting nature of life |
| Metaphor | "Both wry with the laboured ease of loss" | Describes the difficulty of writing about grief |
| Free Verse | No fixed rhyme scheme | Mirrors the unstructured nature of grief |
| Enjambment | Lines run into each other | Creates a flowing, meditative quality |
About the Poet
Shirley Toulson (1924–2018) was a British author known for her poetry and topographical writing. She wrote extensively about the British countryside, Celtic Christianity, and personal loss. A Photograph is considered one of her most celebrated poems.
NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers
Q1. What does the word "cardboard" denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
Answer: "Cardboard" denotes the hard, stiff backing of the old photograph. In older times, photographs were mounted on thick cardboard for preservation. The word is also used to emphasise the physical reality of the photograph as an object — something you can hold, unlike memories. It grounds the poem in something tangible before moving into abstract grief.
Q2. What has the camera captured?
Answer: The camera has captured the poet's mother as a young girl of about twelve, standing on a beach with her two cousins, Betty and Dolly. All three girls are laughing at the waves, and the moment is full of joy and innocence — a holiday moment frozen in time.
Q3. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
Answer: The sea has not changed over the years. This is deeply symbolic — while people come and go, grow old, and die, nature remains eternal and indifferent. The sea existed during the mother's childhood holiday, it was there when the poet was young, and it continues to exist after the mother's death. It highlights the contrast between the permanence of nature and the transience of human life.
Q4. The poet's mother laughed at the snapshot. What did she laugh at?
Answer: The mother laughed at the old swimsuits that she and her cousins were wearing. She found their old-fashioned, "terribly cut" swimwear amusing from the perspective of the present. Her laughter was warm and nostalgic — a mix of amusement and fond memory.
Q5. What is the meaning of "Both wry with the laboured ease of loss"?
Answer: This line describes a complex emotional state. "Wry" means bittersweet or slightly twisted with sadness. "Laboured ease" suggests that writing about grief takes immense effort even when one tries to make it seem effortless. The entire line captures the difficulty of expressing grief — the poet struggles to write about her mother's loss, and the writing itself feels both heavy and somehow controlled.
Quick Revision Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Poet | Shirley Toulson |
| Type | Free verse poem |
| Chapter Number | Chapter 1 (Poem) |
| Book | Hornbill – Class 11 NCERT English |
| Central Emotion | Grief and nostalgia |
| Central Symbol | The old photograph |
| Tone | Melancholic, reflective, tender |
| Key Theme | Loss, memory, transience of life |
A Photograph is a poem that rewards careful, patient reading. The more you sit with it, the more layers you discover. Use Myclass24's resources to build a strong grasp of this poem and approach your exams with genuine understanding rather than rote memorisation.