Analysing ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Work in a group to look at one stanza from the poem. Read it through together and
discuss your responses to the following questions. Make notes to share with the other
groups.
When you have finished, complete the summary table to bring together your
understanding of the poem.
Content:
What is the poem about? Who is the speaker talking to and why?
What are the themes of the poem?
Language:
What word choices has the poet made? Is there a pattern (a
semantic field) in the word choices?
Poetic
techniques:
Has the poet used any similes or metaphors? Is any vivid imagery
created? What about aural techniques like alliteration or
onomatopoeia?
Structure:
How is the poem laid out on the page? What are the stanza and line
lengths and what might this represent? Are there any examples of
enjambment or caesura and why is this?
Form:
What type of poem is it? What is the rhyme scheme / rhythm and
why do you think this is? Is it a regular or irregular form?
Context:
Why did the poet write the poem? What is the tone of the poem and
is there anything personal they are referring to?
© www.teachitenglish.co.uk 2018
30029
Page 1 of 5
Analysing ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Suggested answers
Stanza 1
Language/techniques
First person narrative, personal tone. The use of personal pronouns gives it the personal
touch and immediately tells us the poet is talking to someone directly. The syntax of the
first line also creates juxtaposition between ‘I’ and ‘you’ showing the distance between
the speaker and her mother at this point.
The use of proper nouns (‘Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff’) shows how much detail the
speaker knows about her mother’s life. Perhaps she has spoken about it a lot or perhaps
the daughter is obsessed with who her mother used to be.
The poem features a lot of imagery from the 1950s when her mother was a teenager.
Marilyn Monroe represents glamour and fame whilst ‘polka dot dress’ was the iconic
dress of the time. The use of caesura and the short sentence at the end shows how much
the speaker admires her mother.
Structure
The use of enjambment between lines 1 and 2 could also represent the distance the
daughter feels from her mother’s former self.
Context
Lines 3 and 4 create the image of a carefree and happy world. The level of detail makes
it seem as if the speaker is describing a photograph they are looking at, but also like
they are imagining they are there.
Form
The whole poem is laid out in a regular form like a photo album, representing the sense
of nostalgia and memories within the poem. It is as though the speaker is looking
through an old photo album of her mother’s before she was born and each stanza
represents a different photograph.
Stanza 2
Language/techniques
More 1950s iconography is referred to with ‘ballrooms’ (dancing) and ‘movie
tomorrows’. It presents a very idealistic view of the mother’s life which the speaker
clearly wishes she was part of.
The use of the onomatopoeic adjective ‘fizzy’ gives the poem a magical tone with the
idea that the mother’s life is like a movie: perfect. This links back to the reference to
‘Marilyn’ in the previous stanza and shows how much the speaker admires her mother.
Repetition of the poem’s title reinforces the sense that the speaker feels possessive of
her mother.
© www.teachitenglish.co.uk 2018
30029
Page 2 of 5
Analysing ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
The reference to her ‘Ma’ reminds the speaker and the reader that her mother also had
a mother and reflects a family tree.
Duffy’s use of colloquial language (‘Ma’, ‘reckon’) and the contractions ‘doesn’t’ and
‘it’s’ reflects the informal nature of the poem and the fact that it is a daughter speaking
to her mother. It is almost as if the reader is getting a secret glimpse into their
relationship.
Structure
The caesura and short sentence in the first line creates a blunt, sharp tone, almost as if
the speaker is resentful that her mother was happy before she was born.
The use of enjambment all the way through this stanza could represent flicking through
the pages of a photo album and the ongoing feelings of love the speaker is feeling for
her mother.
Stanza 3
Language/techniques
The speaker links again to the ownership of her mother with the use of the adjective
‘possessive’ when she describes her ‘yell’, presumably as a baby. This shows how much
the mother’s life changed when she had her daughter and perhaps the speaker feels bad
for ruining her mother’s ‘perfect’ life.
There are more colloquial references with the use of ‘eh?’ This rhetorical question also
reminds us that she is talking directly to her mother and wants to hear her stories about
the photos she is looking at.
The ‘high-heeled red shoes’ reinforce the idea of glamour that is referred to throughout
the poem and shows how the speaker saw her mother as being like a movie star. The
fact that as a child she is putting her hands in them, shows how much she admired her
mother and wanted to be like her. The noun ‘relics’ has connotations of something old
and unused, as if the mother was no longer able to wear them once she had a child.
The reference to ‘ghost’ could link to the fact that the woman the speaker is seeing in
the photograph is the ‘ghost’ of who her mother is now, as if becoming a mother
changed her that much. Alternatively, it could mean her mother has died and she is
looking through the photographs to reminisce on her life. Either way, the speaker is
linking the photo she sees of her mother in her red high heels to her own memories of
her mother. The simile ‘clear as scent’ also reinforces this idea of memories; the
speaker is using the photos of her mother to access her own memories of her.
Structure
The stanza ends with a rhetorical question which is reminiscent of a mother questioning
her daughter but is made more affectionate with the addition of ‘sweetheart’. Perhaps
the rhetorical question shows that the speaker wants to speak to her mother but cannot.
© www.teachitenglish.co.uk 2018
30029
Page 3 of 5
Analysing ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Stanza 4
Language/techniques
The onomatopoeia of ‘cha cha cha’ shows us that the speaker has vivid memories of her
childhood.
The sibilance and metaphor in ‘stamping stars’ links back to the speaker seeing her
mother as a movie star and idolising her in such a way. This is later shown again with the
reference to ‘glamorous love’ which has connotations of Marilyn Monroe again.
The speaker talks about ‘wanting’ her mother before she was even born, showing how
much of an impact she had on her life and how much she adores her.
The use of rule of three with the verbs ‘sparkle’ ‘waltz’ and ‘laugh’ ensures the poem
ends on a positive note and summarises how the speaker feels towards her mother. It is
a final nod to the iconic ‘movie star’ imagery that has been created throughout.
Structure
The mix of enjambment and caesura throughout this stanza could reflect the
juxtaposition between the speaker’s tone and feelings. She clearly feels ongoing love
and admiration for her mother (enjambment) but also regret and perhaps a sense of loss
(caesura).
Context
The poem ends with one more reference to the title, perhaps reinforcing the difference
between the woman the speaker sees in the photos and the mother she remembers.
Either way, she shows great adoration of her and refers to how the ‘love lasts’; her
mother may have changed but the way she feels about her has not.
© www.teachitenglish.co.uk 2018
30029
Page 4 of 5
Analysing ‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy
Content/context: What is the poem about and why might Duffy
have written it?
Language: What specific words does Duffy use to show her
feelings towards her mother?
Poetic techniques: What poetic techniques does Duffy use and
what does that show us about her relationship with her mother?
Structure/form: How does the poem’s structure and form
represent Duffy’s relationship with her mother?
© www.teachitenglish.co.uk 2018
30029
Page 5 of 5