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,
Before You Were Mine: “The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell
was the best one, eh?”
Before You Were Mine: …was the best one, eh?”
The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell
Before You Were Mine: “Clear
as scent.”
Before You Were Mine: …as scent.”
“Clear
Before You Were Mine: “Cha Cha Cha! You’d teach me the
steps on the way home from Mass”
Before You Were Mine: …steps on the way home from Mass”
“Cha Cha Cha! You’d teach me the
Before You Were Mine: “You sparkle and waltz and
laugh before you were mine.”
Before You Were Mine: …laugh before you were mine.”
“You sparkle and waltz and
Give the author and contextual information of ‘Eden Rock’.
‘Eden Rock’, by Charles Causley, is a poem aboout reuniting with his mother and father in the afterlife, and was published not long before his death, however the poem also reveals Causley’s reluctance to embrace death.
Eden Rock: “My father, twenty
five, in the same suit / Of Genuine Irish Tweed”
Eden Rock: …in the same suit / Of Genuine Irish Tweed.”
“My father, twenty five
Eden Rock: “Her hair, the colour
of wheat, takes on the light.”
Eden Rock: …of wheat, takes on the light.”
“Her hair, the colour
Eden Rock: “The same three plates,
the tin cups painted blue.”
Eden Rock: …the tin cups painted blue.”
“The same three plates,
Eden Rock: “The sky whitens as
if lit by three suns.”
Eden Rock: …if lit by three suns.”
“The sky whitens as
Eden Rock: “My father spins a stone
along the water. Leisurely”
Eden Rock: …along the water. Leisurely
“My father spins a stone
Eden Rock: “They beckon to me
from the other bank.”
Eden Rock: …from the other bank.”
“They beckon to me
Eden Rock: “Crossing is not as
hard as you might think.”
Eden Rock: …hard as you might think.”
“Crossing is not as
Eden Rock: “I had not thought that
it would be like this.”
Eden Rock: …it would be like this”
“I had not thought that
Give the author and contextual information of ‘Follower’.
‘Follower’ by Seamus Heaney, is a poem that describes the reversal of roles between the poet and his father, from, at the beginning, the child is overshadowed by his father’s expertise, at the end, the father is the one with less authority. Heaney’s father also wanted him to be a farmer, rather than a poet.
Follower: “My father worked with a horse-plough, /
His shoulders globed like a full sail strung.”
Follower: …his shoulders globed like a full sail strung.”
“My father worked with a horse-plough, /
Follower: “Between the shafts and the furrow, /
The horse strained at his clicking tongue.”
Follower: …the Horse strained at his clicking tongue.”
“Between the shafts and the furrow, /
Follower: “The sod
rolled over without breaking.”
Follower: …over without breaking.”
“The sod rolled
Give some examples of the semantic field of farming jargon from ‘Follower’.
Some examples are: “shafts and the furrow”, “bright, steel-pointed sock”, “headrig”, “mapping the furrow exactly”, and “set the wing.”
What effect does the semantic field of farming jargon from ‘Follower’ have on the reader?
The farming jargon makes the reader infantilised and as though they are incompetent, as they will most likely have little knowledge of what the father is actually doing, revealing the poet’s emotions when working with his father.
Follower: “I stumbled
in his hob-nailed wake.”
Follower: …his hob-nailed wake.”
“I stumbled in
Follower: “Sometimes he rode
me on his back.”
Follower: …me on his back.”
“Sometimes he rode
Follower: “All I ever did was follow / In
his broad shadow around the farm.”
Follower: …his broad shadow around the farm.”
“All I ever did was follower / In
Follower: “I was a nuisance, tripping, falling,
yapping always.”
Follower: …yapping always.”
“I was a nuisance, tripping, falling
Follower: “It is my father who keeps stumbling /
Behind me, and will not go away.”
Follower: …Behind me, and will not go away.”
“It is my father who keeps stumbling /
