Before You Were Mine

Page 1

Overview

Initial thoughts:

a child is speaking about their mother before she had children, and written as if the child was actually there when these events were taking place

'the decade ahead of my loud possessive yell was the best one, eh?' - shows how mother's life changed, her time was demanded by her child

the poem itself is very accessible, as we all understand and remember what it was like to be a teenager looking at old family photographs, even if some of the references are lost on us

'my hands in those high-heeled red shoes, relics' describe the play of a child, rather than an adult

the child is sentimental towards their mother; 'even then I wanted the bold girl winking in Portobello', as the child wanted to have this woman as their mother

the poem is both universal and personal; specific references to Scotland and to people such as 'Maggie McGeeny', but also everyone has wondered about their parents before they were born

Read the poem.

The Persona

likes to dance; 'cha, cha, cha'

younger than the character they describe; 'before I was born'

regrets taking their mother's freedom and happiness: sarcastic comment, 'The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?'

sees mother as glamorous and beautiful; 'Marilyn' Monroe has connotations of being famous, admired and mischievous sexuality.

nostalgic, talks of the past fondly; 'Marilyn' and 'polka dot dress' are stereotyped ideals of the era

'hands in those red shoes' seem to suggest that the child is a girl; boys usually aren't interested in playing with their mother's shoes

Page 2

Language

The title 'Before You Were Mine' might suggest a romantic relationship; 'mine' is a possessive word

The fact that the poem is really about a child and their mother is perhaps deliberately misleading, and an example of where Duffy uses disorientation techniques.

persona makes past seem exciting; 'sparkle and waltz'

'fizzy movie tomorrows' describe the mother's unfulfilled dreams and fantasies

'relics' describe ancient and historical objects - making mother's past seem longer ago

'cha cha cha,' is onomatopoeic, creating an atmosphere

Page 3

Form and Structure

4 stanzas, 5 lines each; consistent

each stanza has a different theme; 1. good times with friends, 2. ballroom atmosphere, 3. ghost of mother in child's life, 4. connecting child's youth with mother's

Page 4

Themes and Comparisions

Themes taken from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV4zHnOpEbs

Memory relics

'high-heeled red shoes, relics'

'polka dot dress' - older fashion

'cha cha cha' - out of style dance craze

Resurrection

"Your Ma" - not calling her 'Grandma' or anything that indicates that they might have had a personal relationship perhaps suggests she died before the child was born

"You ghost clatters towards me over George Square" - resurrection of the person her mother used to be, as if she was a completely different person who has died

Spiritual Reclamation

This is reclaiming a memory as yours.

"I wanted the bold girl winking in Portobello" - possessive, wants her mother to be hers

'Before You Were Mine' - claiming her and her memories

"I'm ten tears away from the corner you laugh on" - spirit, as she is not yet born

Time Travel

This is a general theme of a lot of the Mean Time poems.

"I'm ten years away"

"I'm not here yet"

"The decade ahead"

"Your Ma stands at the close with a hiding for the late one"

Tender

"Whose small bites on your neck, sweetheart?" - mother has a romantic relationship with someone, 'sweetheart' shows intimacy

"You sparkle and waltz and laugh before you were mine"

"the thought of me doesn't occur" - not jealous, but celebrating mother's life

Synaesthesia

Synaesthesia is the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body e.g. smell stimulates memory

"I see you, clear as scent"

'Before You Were Mine' can be compared to 'The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team' and 'Nostalgia,' because of the common theme of longing for the past.

Passing of time - compares mother's life 10 years ago to the present day

Loss/grief - 'high heeled shoes, relics', shows loss of youth/freedom, mother grieving lack of social life after having a child?

Nostalgia - uses romantic imagery to describe mother's youth and past life

Construction of the self - describes mother as a teenager/young adult; indicating she is very different now

Mean time - robbed mother of her freedom and youth

Dramatising scenes from adolescence - mother having a good time with her friends, but also persona wondering what mother was like before she was born

Moments of consolation through memory - at least her mother had a good few years of freedom and fun

Regret - feels bad for robbing her mother of freedom

Love/fondness - uses language to show how persona admires her mother, 'Marilyn' imagery, sees her as very glamorous and beautiful

The everyday - mother's everyday life changed from being a teenager to being a parent; imagery used to make past seem magical

Fantasy - imagery and language make mother's past life seem like a fantasy, something that wouldn't happen in reality

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Additional Analysis

Page 6

Example Exam Structure