Before You Were Mine

Question 1

What perspective is the poem from and who is the speaker?

Answer 1

A daughter describing the life of her mother before she was born. An ego-centric narrative

Question 2

What structure is the poem?

Answer 2

Quintane stanzas- organised and thought out as this is a re-occuring thought in the daughter’s mind

Question 3

What themes are present in the poem?

Answer 3

Control, relationships, jealousy, childhood, youth, happiness

Question 4

Describe what happens in the poem

Answer 4

First stanza- The daughter thinks about the memories of her daughter, drinking when she was young, epoch marker of Marilyn to show it is in the 60s
Second stanza- Daughter thinks about the fact she isn’t there and is jealous, talks to her mother
Third stanza- She is born, she puts her hands in her mother shoes, explores the memories of her youth, her mother is not happy now she has a child
Fourth stanza- Teaching her child to dance, her mother has changed

Question 5

What techniques are used in the poem?

Answer 5

Semantic field of glamour/joy
Colloquial language
Epoch marker
Cyclical structure of memory, adoration and longing for her mother
Negative poetic voice