Family Love Poetry Flashcards
Give the author and contextual information of ‘Before You Were Mine’.
The author of this poem is Carol Ann Duffy. She wrote this poem as she believed she limits her mother from being who she was meant to be.
What is ‘Before You Were Mine’?
A commentary on the discomfort and harassing nature of female coming of age.
Throughout ‘Before You Were Mine’, what words and phrases contribute to the idea of the discomfort of female coming of age?
“Marilyn” “Ballroom with the thousand eyes.” “Small bites on your neck.” “Cha cha cha”
‘Before You Were Mine’: “Your polka-dot dress blows
round your legs. Marilyn.”
‘Before You Were Mine’: …round your legs. Marilyn.”
“Your polka-dot dress blows
‘Before You Were Mine’: “Ballroom with the thousand eyes,
the fizzy, movie tomorrows the right walk home could bring.”
In ‘Before You Were Mine’, which line does the volta lie in, and what phrase signals it?
The volta lies in line 9, and is signalled by the phrase, “before you were mine.”
‘Before You Were Mine’: “Decade ahead of my loud,
possessive yell was the best one.”
‘Before You Were Mine’: …possessive yell was the best one.”
“Decade ahead my loud,
What does the word ‘relic’ suggest in ‘Before You Were Mine’?
That the mother’s dreams of becoming a star are shattered, an ancient dream.
‘Before You Were Mine’: “I see you,
clear as scent.”
‘Before You Were Mine’: …clear as scent.”
“I see you,
What method is “clear as scent” in ‘Before You Were Mine’?
A synaesthesiatic simile.
In ‘Before You Were Mine’, what dance does the last stanza start with?
“Cha cha cha!”
What is the “Cha cha cha” and what does it reveal?
It is traditionally quite a sexy dance, thus starting the final stanza with the clear image of the mother living a version of her old life, 10 years ago.
‘Before You Were Mine’: “Stamping stars from the
wrong pavement.”
‘Before You Were Mine’: …wrong pavement.”
“Stamping stars from the
‘Before You Were Mine’: “Sparkle and
waltz and laugh before you were mine.”
What real world road does “Stamping stars from the wrong pavement” in ‘Before You Were Mine’ reflect?
The Hollywood Boulevard, the quote reveals that the child is literally stamping on the mother’s dreams, and the mother should be in Hollywood.
Give the author and contextual information of ‘Mother, Any Distance’.
This poem was written by poet laureate, Simon Armitage. He is measuring his new house with his mother, and the poem is an extended metaphor for the moving on that parents have to go through when their child leaves.
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “Distance greater than a single span/
requires a second pair of hands.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “The acres of walls,
the prairies of the floors.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: …the prairies of the floors.”
“The acres of walls,
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “You at the zero-end, me
with the spool of tape.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: …with the spool of tape.”
“You at the zero-end, me
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “The line still feeding out,
unreeling year between us.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “Anchor.
Kite.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: …Kite.”
“Anchor.
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “Space-walk through
the empty bedrooms.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: …the empty bedrooms.”
“Space-walk through
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “Reporting metres,
centimetres back to base”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “The last
one-hundredth of an inch.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: “Hatch that opens
on an endless sky/ to fall or fly.”
‘Mother, Any Distance’: …on an endless sky/ to fall or fly.”
“Hatch that opens
Give the author and contextual information of Letters from Yorkshire.
The author is Maura Dooley. The poem is about her unfulfilling life of journalism in London, as she writes letters to a male friend whom they have no romantic connection with (i.e a platonic male friend, a father or a brother).
Letters from Yorkshire: “Digging his garden,
planting potatoes.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …planting potatoes.”
“Digging his garden,
Letters from Yorkshire: “He saw the first lapwings return and
came indoors to write to me, his knuckles singing.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …came indoors to write to me, his knuckles singing.”
“He saw the first lapwings return and
Letters from Yorkshire: “It’s not romance,
simply how things are.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …simply how things are.”
“It’s not romance,
Letters from Yorkshire: “You out there, in the
cold, seeing the seasons.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …cold, seeing the seasons.”
“You out there, in the
Letters from Yorkshire: “Me with my heartful of
headlines, feeding words onto a blank screen.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …headlines, feeding words onto a blank screen.”
“Me with my heartful of
Letters from Yorkshire: “Is your life more real
because you dig and sow?”
Letters from Yorkshire: “You wouldn’t say so,
breaking ice on a waterbutt.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …breaking ice on a waterbutt.”
“You wouldn’t say so,
Letters from Yorkshire: “Pouring air and
light into an envelope.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …light into an envelope.”
“Pouring air and
Letters from Yorkshire: “Our souls tap out
messages across the icy miles.”
Letters from Yorkshire: …messages across the icy miles.”
“Our souls tap out
Give the author and contextual information of Before You Were Mine?
The author is Carol Anne Duffy, a past poet laureate, who writes about regretting to cause her mother to lose freedom and her bright future, but also comments on the sexualisation and uncomfortability of teenage girls.
Before You Were Mine: “Ten years away from
the corner you laugh on.”
Before You Were Mine: …the corner you laugh on.”
“Ten years away from
Before You Were Mine: “Shriek at
the pavement.”
Before You Were Mine: …the pavement.”
“Shriek at
Before You Were Mine: “Polka-dot dress blows
round your legs. Marilyn.”
Before You Were Mine: …round your legs. Marilyn.”
“Your polka-dot dress blows
Before You Were Mine: “Thought of me doesn’t occur in the ballroom with the thousand eyes,
the fizzy, movie tomorrows the right walk home could bring.”
Before You Were Mine: …the fizzy, movie tomorrows the right walk home could bring.”
“Thought of me doesn’t occur in the ballroom with the thousand eyes,
