SHIRLEY TOULSON

THE POET
A British poet
Not very prolific
Not known very widely known
Influenced strongly by

Celtic Christianity
British and Irish folklore
Saints of the early church

CIRCUMSTANCE OF THE POEM

Originates in an old photograph
Recaps an old family holiday by
the beach
Evokes pleasant memories
A link to the past

Speaker
Listener

THEMES

Reminiscences
A young happy mother
Fond memories

Nostalgia
Mother missed her carefree past
Daughter misses her mother who is no
more

CRYSTALLIZES THOUGHTS

Immortality

Mortality

Lifes events
Life

Power of memory

Art - photograph
Nature sea

Difficulty of forgetting her mother

Moving on from her past

Silence Time the great healer

Death

POETIC TECHNIQUE
Turns a commonplace event into a
source for a
metaphysical discussion on
Life a mix of joy and sorrow
Memories holiday was her past, mine is her laughter
Death silences every one
Time a great leveler and healer

LANGUAGE
Simple and unassuming, perhaps
deliberately, to
highlight an universal theme
The simplicity of language contrasts
with the
enormity of the thought expressed

THANK YOU