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Understanding poetry becomes easier when students connect the poet’s emotions with their own experiences. One such emotional and thoughtful poem is Chapter 2 – A Photograph from the Class 11 English Hornbill textbook. To help students understand it better, the Class 11 English Worksheet Chapter 2 A Photograph is an excellent tool. These worksheets help students learn the meaning of the poem, its themes, and how to answer different types of questions in exams.
The poem “A Photograph” is written by Shirley Toulson and is full of memories, emotions, and reflection. It talks about a photograph of the poet’s mother when she was a young girl. As the poet looks at this old photo, she remembers her mother’s past and also feels the deep pain of her mother’s absence. This makes the poem emotional, touching, and very relatable for many readers. The A Photograph Class 11 Worksheet helps students break down the poem into simpler parts. It makes learning fun and meaningful.
The Class 11 English Worksheet Chapter 2 A Photograph includes different types of exercises like short and long answer questions, extract-based questions, literary devices, and grammar tasks. These help students understand the poem in detail. It also improves their writing and thinking skills. Solving the worksheet also teaches students how to express emotions and thoughts clearly in their own words.
By practicing with the Class 11 A Photograph English Worksheet, students become more confident in understanding poetry. They also learn how to write better answers in exams. The worksheet encourages students to think deeply about the poet’s feelings and message. It also gives them a chance to explore their own thoughts about memories and loss.
In simple words, the A Photograph Class 11 Worksheet is a complete guide to understanding the poem. It is designed to help students study smarter and score better in their English exams. Whether you are preparing for a class test or the final exam, the Class 11 English Worksheet Chapter 2 A Photograph will make learning poetry much easier and more enjoyable.
Use this worksheet regularly to understand the poem line by line and build strong answers. It’s the best way to study and succeed in Class 11 English.
Introduction to the Poem – “A Photograph”
The poem “A Photograph” is written by Shirley Toulson, a British poet and journalist. The poet recalls her mother’s childhood and the time they spent together. The poem is about a photograph of the poet’s mother when she was a child. The photo triggers memories and emotions in the poet as she remembers the days when her mother was alive and happy.
When solving the Class 11 English Worksheet Chapter 2 A Photograph, students must analyze the emotional journey shown in the poem. They also get to reflect on how people hold on to memories through photographs.
Summary of “A Photograph” – Chapter 2 Class 11 English
First Stanza
The poem starts with a description of an old photograph. It shows the poet’s mother standing with two of her cousins. All three are about 12 years old. The photo was taken on a sea beach. The poet describes her mother’s face as sweet and innocent. Her uncle, who took the photo, told them to smile and click!
The worksheet often includes questions about this stanza to test comprehension. The Class 11 English Worksheet Chapter 2 A Photograph may ask students to describe the setting or the poet’s reaction to the picture.
Second Stanza
In this stanza, the poet reflects on the passing of time. She says that the picture is at least 20-30 years old. Her mother had grown up and used to look at the photo and laugh. She would remember how they all went paddling in the sea. The mother would find those days funny and joyful.
When completing the Class 11 A Photograph English Worksheet, students should pay attention to how the tone shifts. The poet shares both happy and nostalgic feelings. These emotions are key to answering analytical questions.
Third Stanza
Now, the poet talks about her mother’s death. The poet is silent and lost in grief. She says that the pain of her mother’s death cannot be expressed. Even though many years have passed since her mother died, the poet still feels her absence.
This final stanza is very emotional and is commonly used in worksheets to test students’ ability to interpret emotions and themes. The A Photograph Class 11 Worksheet will often include questions on this stanza to help students explore the idea of permanent loss.
Do Check: CBSE Class 11 English A Photograph Summary
CBSE Class 11 English Worksheet A Photograph – Comprehension-Based Questions & Answers
Q1. Who are the people in the photograph described by the poet?
Ans: The photograph shows the poet’s mother when she was around twelve years old, along with her two cousins – Betty and Dolly – standing on a beach.
Q2. What does the phrase “transient feet” suggest in the poem?
Ans: The phrase “transient feet” means that the girls’ presence on the beach was temporary, just like life itself is fleeting. It symbolizes the temporary nature of human life.
Q3. How does the poet contrast the past and the present in the poem?
Ans: The poet contrasts the happy moment captured in the photograph with the grief she feels in the present after her mother’s death. The laughter and joy of the past have turned into silence and sorrow in the present.
Q4. What is the significance of the title “A Photograph”?
Ans: The title “A Photograph” is significant because it acts as a trigger for memories, emotions, and reflections on the passage of time. It connects the poet to her mother and the emotions tied to her loss.
Q5. What emotions does the poem evoke in the reader?
Ans: The poem evokes emotions of nostalgia, sadness, love, and the pain of losing a loved one. It also reflects on the power of memories captured through a photograph.
A Photograph Class 11 Worksheet – Short Answer Type Questions
Q6. What does “laboured ease of loss” mean?
Ans: It is an oxymoron that describes how the poet tries to accept the pain of her mother’s death. Though she appears to have moved on, the grief still exists deep within her.
Q7. Why does the poet describe the photograph as “cardboard”?
Ans: The poet uses the word “cardboard” to describe the photo frame, implying that it is simple, old, and fragile—just like memories.
Q8. Why has the poet used silence as a theme in the last line of the poem?
Ans: The poet uses silence to express the emptiness and inexpressible pain after her mother’s death. Silence represents the absence of words to describe such deep grief.
Q9. How is the sea described in the poem? What does it represent?
Ans: The sea is described as something that has not changed over time. It represents eternity and permanence in contrast to the temporary nature of human life.
Class 11 Photograph English Worksheet – Long Answer Questions
Q10. Describe the mood of the poet in the poem.
Ans: The poet’s mood shifts throughout the poem. Initially, it is nostalgic as she remembers her mother’s childhood. Then it becomes reflective and slightly happy as she recalls her mother laughing at the photograph. In the end, it becomes solemn and sorrowful as she mourns her mother’s death. The poem moves from joy to grief, showing the poet’s journey through emotions.
Q11. How does the poem show the connection between photographs and memories?
Ans: The poem shows that photographs capture moments that may be long gone but still hold emotional value. For the poet, the photograph is a link to her mother’s past and her own memories of her mother. Even though her mother is no longer alive, the photograph keeps the memory alive. This is a key idea tested in the Class 11 A Photograph English Worksheet.
Q12. How does the poet express the theme of change and permanence in the poem?
Ans: The poet contrasts the permanence of the sea with the temporary nature of human life. The sea hasn’t changed in all these years, but the people in the photograph are no longer the same. Her mother grew up, grew old, and passed away. This shows that while nature remains constant, human life is always changing.
Class 11 English Worksheet A Photograph – Extract Based Questions from the Poem
Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow:
“It’s silence silences”
a) What does this line mean?
Ans: It means that the silence of the poet’s grief is so deep that it cannot be expressed in words. It has made the poet completely quiet.
b) What does the word ‘it’ refer to here?
Ans: The word ‘it’ refers to the death of the poet’s mother.
c) Why is the word ‘silence’ repeated?
Ans: The repetition of the word ‘silence’ emphasizes the depth of the poet’s sorrow and how it has affected her ability to speak or express her emotions.
Read the extract and answer the following:
“The sea holiday was her past, mine is her laughter.”
a) Whose past is mentioned here?
Ans: The poet’s mother’s past is mentioned here. She once enjoyed a sea holiday with her cousins.
b) What does the poet remember as her own past?
Ans: The poet remembers her mother’s laughter and the joy she found in looking at the photograph.
c) What is the poet trying to show with this comparison?
Ans: The poet shows how time moves on and how different generations have different memories. While the mother remembered her childhood, the poet remembers her mother.
Value-Based Questions
Q13. How can a photograph help us remember loved ones who are no longer with us?
Ans: A photograph captures a moment in time and holds emotional value. It helps people remember special times with loved ones, even after they are gone. In the poem, the photograph connects the poet with her deceased mother. This teaches us the importance of preserving memories.
Q14. What does the poem teach us about coping with loss?
Ans: The poem shows that grief may become silent with time, but it never truly goes away. People cope with loss in different ways—some talk about it, while others remain silent like the poet. It teaches us that remembering loved ones can be both comforting and painful.
A Photograph Class 11 English Worksheet – Grammar and Vocabulary Practice (Based on the Poem)
Fill in the blanks:
-
The photograph was taken on a ______ beach.
Ans: sea -
The girls in the photograph were paddling with their ______ feet.
Ans: transient -
The poet’s mother would laugh at the ______.
Ans: snapshot -
Her mother has been dead nearly as many ______ as she had lived.
Ans: years -
The phrase “laboured ease” is an example of ______.
Ans: oxymoron
