Скачать или смотреть Before You Were Mine by Carol Ann Duffy – Top-Grade Analysis on Mother-Daughter Bonds

Introduction
Achieve grades 7-9 with this exploration of Duffy’s Before You Were Mine, unpacking its reflective tone and themes of memory and maternal love.

Analysis
"Before You Were Mine" by Carol Ann Duffy is a poignant reflection on the life of the speaker's mother before her birth. The poem nostalgically imagines the carefree and vibrant youth of the mother, depicted through vivid snapshots of her dancing and socializing. Duffy contrasts this with the responsibilities and changes brought by motherhood. The poem explores themes of identity, sacrifice, and the passage of time, as the speaker acknowledges the transformation her mother underwent. Through a tender and introspective tone, Duffy conveys a deep appreciation for her mother's past, while also recognizing the impact of her own arrival on her mother's life.

00:00 Intro
00:05 Context
01:30 Structural overview
03:36 Title
04:14 Line-by-line analysis

Additional Resources
For more exam tips, resources, and one-to-one tutoring, visit my website: www.clairesnotes.com
Check out the rest of my videos on the poems from the AQA Love and Relationships anthology:
   • AQA Love and Relationships  

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The Poem
Text of Before You Were Mine by Carol Ann Duffy

I’m ten years away from the corner you laugh on
with your pals, Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff.
The three of you bend from the waist, holding
each other, or your knees, and shriek at the pavement.
Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn.

I’m not here yet. The thought of me doesn’t occur
in the ballroom with the thousand eyes, the fizzy, movie tomorrows
the right walk home could bring. I knew you would dance
like that. Before you were mine, your Ma stands at the close
with a hiding for the late one. You reckon it’s worth it.

The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?
I remember my hands in those high-heeled red shoes, relics,
and now your ghost clatters toward me over George Square
till I see you, clear as scent, under the tree,
with its lights, and whose small bites on your neck, sweetheart?

Cha cha cha! You’d teach me the steps on the way home from Mass, stamping stars from the wrong pavement. Even then
I wanted the bold girl winking in Portobello, somewhere
in Scotland, before I was born. That glamorous love lasts
where you sparkle and waltz and laugh before you were mine.

About Me
I’m an experienced English teacher with over 25 years of classroom and private tutoring experience. My videos are tailored to help students achieve top marks in AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas/WJEC, CCEA and Cambridge IGCSE English exams.

Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!

Let's Discuss!
How does Duffy explore the theme of memory and the passage of time in Before You Were Mine? What do you think of the speaker’s portrayal of her mother before she was born, and how does this impact our understanding of the mother-daughter relationship? I’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment below and let’s talk about it!