"Before you were mine, your Ma stands at the close" Possessive language: the narrator sees her mother as having freedom before she was born, but she is also restrained by her mother, with boundaries. Before You Were Mine by Carol Ann Duffy ... About “GSCE English Literature Poetry Anthology” ... An index of poems found in the English Literature Poetry Anthology by AQA for GCSEs in the UK.

It is set in Glasgow, making it semiautobiographical as this is where Duffy’s mother was born. Aimed at students targeted level 4. Conclusion This is a very effective poem that makes its point in a dramatic and memorable way. Line-by-Line Analysis Carol Ann Duffy – Carol Ann Duffy (1955- present) is a Scottish author and poet. Carol Ann Duffy Duffy was born in 1955 in Glasgow. like that. Before You Were Mine 1 Sometimes it helps to see the poem separate from its verse form.

The poet is talking to her mother, having seen a photo of her mother as a teenager. Ends in "before you were mine" which is how the poem is introduced through title. 12. Both ‘Before you were mine’ by Carol Anne Duffy and ‘Follower’ by Seamus Heaney present the theme of admiration through their poems. Whole lesson on Carol Anne Duffy's Before you were mine. Context, language and structure questions. wonders a little boy, "[d]id you live in a warm house with warm smells and a rug that was only yours? The people our parents once were before they were parents. “the thought of me doesn’t occur”-possible jealousy“the fizzy movie tomorrows”- showing the life her mother could’ve lived without her “Before you were mine your Ma stands at the close”-Poet’s mother had freedom but was also restrained by her own mother showing a controlling relationship“You reckon it’s worth it”-she lived a care free life before her daughter was born Poem: Before You Were Mine. Some teaching suggestions. But, as the repeated “before you were mine” makes clear, each new generation possesses the one before and destroys something that was joyful, innocent and intensely desirable. Historical Context Duffy’s poem ‘Before you were Mine’ is a eulogy; a tribute to her mother after death. In the poem, I am imagining my mother 10 years before I was born -almost trying to recreate her as a teenaged girl in language. Overview of the meaning: Reflecting on her mum’s life and what she was like before the persona was born, while looking at a photo of them. English Revision English Literature Paper 2 Section B: AQA Love and Relationships Poems 12.

Presentation of Family Relationships in Carol Anne Duffy's Poem Before You Were Mine and in One Poem by Simon Armitage In Carol Anne Duffy's poem "Before You Were Mine", Carol Anne Duffy is the daughter looking at a photograph of her mother as a young woman, and describing how she used to be before she was born. Before You Were Mine –is a poem that explores the way in which motherhood changes a woman, how she can lose her sense of identity and how children rarely get to know the free, independent woman their mother was before they had children. Before You Were Mine . Why is cyclical structure used? . " Likewise, this poem is similar to Before You Were Mine as Duffy explores how mother and daughters relationship has progressed through time- before she was born, her mother was much more bubbly. You reckon it’s worth it. She describes her mother’s previous life as a carefree young woman before becoming a parent, and the ensuing changes to … "with a hiding for the late one."