Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy

Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy

1. "you laugh on" (present tense)

   • It is used to describe an event in the past to create a vivid image

2. "your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn"

   • Hints that unhappiness will come

3. "The thought of me doesn't occur"

   • Hint of jealousy

4. "the fizzy, movie tomorrows" (figurative language)

   • Suggests energy and exciting possibilities

5. "You reckon it's worth it"

   • Her mum wasn't scared of the consequences of enjoying herself

6. "relics"

   • To the narrator, her mother's glamour is precious

7. "I wanted the bold girl"

   • Her birth meant that her mum couldn't be the same anymore

8. "sparkle and waltz and laugh"

   • Repetition of 'and' emphasises how many energetic qualities she had

9. "before you were mine" (repetition)

   • Emphasises the difference between then and now