Childhood Memories of Mother's Past

Questions and Answers

What is the occasion depicted in the cardboard snapshot?

A beach holiday

The speaker's mother is still alive in the present time.

False

What is the speaker's past, according to the poem?

her mother's laughter

The speaker's mother had been dead for nearly as many years as the girl in the snapshot _______.

lived Signup and view all the answers

Match the following people with their relationships to the speaker:

Mother = Speaker's mother Betty = Speaker's cousin Dolly = Speaker's cousin Uncle = Speaker's uncle Signup and view all the answers

How does the speaker’s perception of the past differ from their mother’s?

The speaker's past is their mother's laughter, while their mother's past is the sea holiday Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the sea in the poem, beyond its physical presence?

The sea represents timelessness and impermanence, contrasting with the 'terribly transient feet' of the people in the snapshot Signup and view all the answers

How does the poem explore the relationship between memory and loss?

The poem shows how memories can be both a source of nostalgia and a reminder of loss, highlighting the 'laboured ease of loss' Signup and view all the answers

What is the tone of the poem's final line, 'Its silence silences'?

The tone is one of resignation, acceptance, and perhaps even despair Signup and view all the answers

How does the poem use the snapshot as a metaphor for the past?

The snapshot represents a frozen moment in time, capturing a past that is both tangible and intangible Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Poem's Setting and Imagery

The poem describes a childhood scene of two girl cousins, likely the speaker's mother and her cousin, going paddling at the beach.
The scene is captured in a photograph, with the uncle taking the picture.
The image shows the three girls standing still, smiling through their hair, with the sea in the background.

The Mother's Life and Laughter

The speaker's mother was a young girl of around 12 years old in the photograph.
The mother would later laugh at the snapshot, nostalgically reminiscing about her cousins, Betty and Dolly, and the way they dressed for the beach.
The mother's laughter is described as "wry" and "laboured" with a sense of loss.

The Passage of Time and Mortality

The poem jumps forward in time, with the speaker's mother having been dead for nearly as many years as the girl lived in the photograph.
The speaker reflects on the circumstance of their mother's death, stating that there is "nothing to say at all" and that its silence is overwhelming.

The Poem's Setting and Imagery

The poem describes a childhood scene of two girl cousins, likely the speaker's mother and her cousin, going paddling at the beach.
The scene is captured in a photograph, with the uncle taking the picture.
The image shows the three girls standing still, smiling through their hair, with the sea in the background.

The Mother's Life and Laughter

The speaker's mother was a young girl of around 12 years old in the photograph.
The mother would later laugh at the snapshot, nostalgically reminiscing about her cousins, Betty and Dolly, and the way they dressed for the beach.
The mother's laughter is described as "wry" and "laboured" with a sense of loss.

The Passage of Time and Mortality

The poem jumps forward in time, with the speaker's mother having been dead for nearly as many years as the girl lived in the photograph.
The speaker reflects on the circumstance of their mother's death, stating that there is "nothing to say at all" and that its silence is overwhelming.