Before You Were Mine Flashcards
Who wrote the poem?
Carol Ann Duffy
When was the poem published?
1993
What is the poem about?
The poem begins with the narrator looking at a photo of her mother having fun with her friends. She then imagines what her mother was like when she was younger, how she stayed out late dancing and not put off by her own mother. The narrator wonders if her mother was happier before she was born, and recalls parts of her childhood linking to her mother’s previous lifestyle. She remembers her mum teaching her to dance, and how she wanted to be like this more often but she realises that her mu was only truly fun-loving and glamorous before she was born.
Describe the form of the poem.
The poem is made of four equal stanzas, each five lines long. The consistency reflects the constant passage of time and the inevitable changes that come with it.
Describe the structure of the poem.
The poem begins and ends with the mother on the pavement. At the beginning, the mother is laughing with her friends but at the end she is walking with her daughter. This emphasises the changes that time has brought, there is a clear division between the mother before and after the narrators birth.
How was exciting language used in the poem?
A lot of words and phrases used describe how fun the mother’s life was before the narrator was born.
How is possessive language used in the poem?
The speaker believes that, following her birth, she took control of her mum’s life and took away her freedom. This reverses the typical idea of children wanting to break free from their parents, since, in this poem, its the child stopping the parent from having fun.
How is colloquial language used in the poem?
The speaker uses colloquialisms to create an imaginary conversation with her mother, which suggests the two have a very close relationship.
What is the effect of “I’m ten years away” (Line 1), “I’m not here yet.” (Line 6) and “The decade ahead” (Line 11)?
Starting the first three stanzas with these phrases acts as a reminder to the reader of the distance in time between the narrator’s birth and the mother’s youth.
What is the significance of “you laugh on” (Line 1)?
The present tense is used to talk about a past event, which suggests it is imagined or possibly in a photograph.
What is the significance of “Your polka-dot dress blows around your legs. Marylin.” (Line 5)?
The narrator compares her mother with Marylin Monroe, she was very glamorous and desirable, but also a very tragic figure who died at 36, which may reflect the mother’s happiness in the near future.
What is the significance of “The thought of me doesn’t occur” (Line 6)?
The speaker has a jealous tone towards people who got to experience her mother’s fun nature before she was born.
What is the effect of “the fizzy, movie tomorrows” (Line 7)?
The figurative language reflects the energy and exciting possibilities of the mother’s partying youth, it’s possible she hoped to be a movie star.
What is the effect of “shriek at the pavement” (Line 4)?
The aggressive verb “shriek” suggests the amount of energy between the group of friends, and how their nights were frantic and chaotic.
What is the significance of “Before you were mine, your Ma stands at the close” (Line 9)?
The narrator sees her mother as being free before she was born, but shows that she was also perhaps restricted by her own mother.
