“A Photograph,” written by Shirley Toulson, is a poignant and reflective poem from the Class 11 NCERT English textbook, Hornbill. It marks the beginning of the poetry section in the book and explores themes of loss, memory, and the passage of time. To help you prepare effectively for your JAC Board 2025 exams, we’ve compiled a set of important Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) based on this poem. These questions not only align with the JAC Board syllabus but are also beneficial for NCERT readers looking to strengthen their understanding of the text. These practice questions will be a valuable tool as you gear up for your final examinations.
A Photograph Class 11 Important MCQ questions
Stanza 1
Stanza:
“The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousin went paddling,
Each one holding one of my mother’s hand.
And she the big girl — some twelve years or so.
All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera.”
Q1. What is the cardboard in the poem?
Q2. Who were the two girls referred to?
Q3. Who is the third ‘big girl’?
Q4. ‘All three stood still to smile through their hair’, Which poetic device is used here?
Stanza 2
Stanza:
“The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousin went paddling,
Each one holding one of my mother’s hand.
And she the big girl — some twelve years or so.
All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera.”
Q1. What is the cardboard in the poem?
Q2. Who were the two girls referred to?
Q3. Who is the third ‘big girl’?
Q4. ‘All three stood still to smile through their hair’, Which poetic device is used here?
Stanza 3
Stanza:
“A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born.
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet.”
Q1. What reminds the poet of her mother’s face?
Q2. What does the sea in the poem represent?
Q3. The passage is about:
Q4. Why does the poet refer to the sea?
Stanza 4
Stanza:
“Some twenty-thirty-years later
She’d laugh at the snapshot. ‘See Betty
And Dolly,’ she’d say, ‘and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.’ The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.”
Q1. Who would laugh at the snapshot?
Q2. What type of loss did mother feel while looking at her photograph?
Q3. What kind of loss did the poet feel?
Q4. Past is associated with poet’s:
Stanza 5
Stanza:
“Now she’s been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all.
Its silence silences.”
Q1. Who is ‘she’ referred to in the stanza?
Q2. Who is referred to as ‘that girl lived’?
Q3. What mood is the poet in?
Q4. What silence is referred to in the stanza?
We hope these MCQs on “A Photograph” will help you revise effectively for your Class 11 JAC Board exams. For more practice and to strengthen your preparation across various subjects, check out our other resources:
- Explore our Writing Skill MCQ Questions Class 11 for honing your writing abilities.
- Don’t miss out on important MCQs for The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 to master this topic.
- Dive into The Alling Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Class 11 MCQ Questions for a better understanding of environmental issues.
Best of luck with your studies, and keep practicing!