Figure of speech for the poem Related: Poem 1: A Photograph by Shirley Toulson (Summary), CBSE Class 11 English Hornbill

The poem "A Photograph" by Shirley Toulson is a nostalgic and emotional reflection on a black and white photograph of the speaker's mother and her friends. The photograph captures a moment frozen in time, and the speaker's memories and emotions are evoked by this image. Throughout the poem, Toulson uses various figures of speech to convey the speaker's feelings and to create a vivid picture of the past.

1. Metaphor

Toulson uses several metaphors in the poem to describe the photograph and its contents. For example, she describes the image as "the past tense of a verb," suggesting that the moment captured in the photograph is now gone and can never be revisited. She also compares the photograph to a "paperweight," suggesting that it is heavy with the weight of memories and emotions.

2. Personification

Toulson personifies the photograph itself, describing it as "speaking aloud" and "whispering." This personification creates a sense of intimacy between the speaker and the image, as if the photograph is a living thing that can communicate with her.

3. Hyperbole

The final stanza of the poem contains a hyperbolic statement, as the speaker declares that the photograph "will never fade." This exaggeration highlights the speaker's intense emotional attachment to the image and the memories it represents.

4. Allusion

Toulson also makes an allusion to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, who were separated by death. The speaker compares herself to Orpheus, who tried to bring his beloved Eurydice back from the dead, suggesting that she too is trying to capture the past and bring it back to life through the photograph.

Overall, Toulson uses these figures of speech to create a rich and evocative portrait of the speaker's memories and emotions. The use of metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and allusion helps to convey the depth of feeling associated with the photograph and the past it represents.

In 2nd para of the poem A Photograph
"laboured ease of loss"- oxymoron
last para
"It's silence silences"-paradox
with the death of poets mother everything has become silent in poets life