Before you were mine

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

Poem refers to a place in Glasgow which is where the poets mother grew up

Question 2

Stanza 1: “laugh”

Answer 2

She is lively, social, outgoing, and bubbly

Question 3

Stanza 1: “Marilyn”

Answer 3

Metaphorically compares her mother to Marilyn as she is glamorous and he skirt blows up

Question 4

Stanza 1: Caesura

Answer 4

Like a snapshot image of her mother that pops into the speakers mind.

Question 5

Stanza 3: First line

Answer 5

Her mothers life was better before she was born

Question 6

Stanza 3: “the decade”

Answer 6

I:
1. Speaker wishes she could go back in time to meet her fun mother
2. The speaker thinks back to how much her Mother has changed in 10 years

Question 7

Stanza 2: cha cha cha

Answer 7

Onomatopoeia

Refers to the short and sharp moves of the dance which has connotations of excitement

Question 8

“Possessive”

Answer 8

Adjective
Links with the title and suggests that she might feel guilty about taking away her mums glamour

Question 9

“Sparkled”

Answer 9

Adjective

The poet uses vivid sensory imagery of light, colour, sounds and smell to visualise her mother’s glamorous, carefree life, where she “sparkled” before having her daughter.