before you were mine

Question 1

Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn.

Answer 1

Compares her mother with Marilyn Monroe - glamorous and desirable - also tragic figure who took her own life. Could hint at unhappiness to come

Question 2

I’m not here yet. The thought of me doesn’t occur

Answer 2

Reminders of the distance in time between the narrator’s birth and her mum’s youth and fun. A hint of jealousy.

Question 3

Before you were mine, your Ma stands at the close.. You reckon it’s worth it

Answer 3

The narrator sees her mum as having freedom before she was born, but also restrained by her own mother. Her mum wasn’t scared of the consequences of enjoying herself

Question 4

The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?

Answer 4

The narrator was a demanding baby. ‘eh?’ creates a controversial tone

Question 5

Stamping stars from the wrong pavement

Answer 5

‘stamping stars’ - alliteration stresses her mum’s defiance and energy. ‘wrong pavement’ contrasts with “the right walk home”. Maybe she made the wrong choices in life.

Question 6

where you sparkle and waltz and laugh before you were mine

Answer 6

Repetition of ‘and’ emphasises how many energetic qualities the narrator thinks her mum had. ‘before you were mine’ - Repeating this emphasises the difference between then and now. It develops the possessive tone with ‘mine’.