Before You were mine Carol Ann Duffy

1
Before You were mineCarol Ann Duffy
2
First person narrative
Mother addressed directly
Im ten years away from the corner you laugh on
with your pals, Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff.
Having fun with friends
Duffy wrote this poem after seeing a photo of
mum, called Marilyn, 10 years before giving birth
to her.
3
Showing closeness and friendship
Present tense

• 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.

Marilyn Monroe iconic image of skirt blowing
up in the film The Seven Year Itch
1950s style dress
4
Reminder jealousy?
glitterball

• Im not here yet. The thought of me doesnt occur
• in the ballroom with the thousand eyes, the
  fizzy, movie tomorrows
• the right walk home could bring.

could find love like in the movies Monroe again.
5
Perhaps a little jealousy of not being there
making assumptions about her mother

• 
  
• 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 its
  worth it.

Possessiveness of title
Rebellion of youth
Colloquialisms, element of realism
6
strong relationship baby changes everything

• 
  
• The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was
  the best one, eh?
• I remember my hands in those high-heeled red
  shoes, relics,

Now in the picture, trying to be part of her
mothers past, playing at dress-up.
Artefact from a past age her mothers youth
7
Ghost linking with the previous line of relic
Sound of the red heels

• 
  
• 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?

Scent is invisible like a memory
Youthful mother in an old haunt, and a previous
life with different love in it
8
Interesting juxtaposition of the fun of dancing
and the solemnity of Mass a link to previous
rebelliousness?
Tango rhythm the dance of passion

• 
  
• Cha cha cha! Youd teach me the steps on the way
  home
• from Mass,
• stamping stars from the wrong pavement.

Allusion to the pavement of stars in Hollywood
Boulevard
9
Famous road for glamour, and fashion in London,
especially in the swinging sixties
Strong desire of the daughter

• 
  
• 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.

Lovely image of graceful, beautiful mother
Organised, structured stanzas, like the pictures
in a photo album as you turn the pages.