Analysis of "Before You Were Mine" by Carol Ann Duffy

Publication

• Collection: The poem was published in the 1993 collection "Mean Time".

Form & Subject

• Type: A lyric in the form of an apostrophe.
• Addressee: Duffy addresses her late mother, Mary, as if she is alive.
• Content: Describes her mother's life before Duffy’s birth and imagines Mary's carefree teenage years in 1950s Glasgow.

Themes

• Mother-Daughter Relationship: Duffy suggests her mother's life changed significantly upon becoming a mother.
• Teen Culture of 1950s Glasgow: The poem vividly evokes teenage life, dances, cinemas, and social mores of that era.

Structure

• Stanzas: Consists of four stanzas, each with five lines.
• Progression: The poem moves through the years leading to Duffy's birth.
• Verse: Written in free verse with no rhyme, using poetic devices like assonance, alliteration, and enjambment.

Poetic Devices

• Language: Colloquial, present tense, first and second-person perspective.
• Imagery & Tone: Warm, affectionate, teasing. Imagined scenes depicted as a metaphorical album.

Key Details

• Title: "Before You Were Mine" reflects possession and change brought by Duffy's birth.
• Imagery: Evocative visual details; references fashion, glamour, and cultural icons like Marilyn Monroe.

Cultural Context

• Austerity: Post-WWII Britain, rationing until 1954, focusing on leisure activities of the era.
• Teenage Rebellion: Emergence of teenage identity and cultural rebellion.

Personal & Emotional Insights

• Possessive Nature: Duffy’s birth changed her mother's life, suggesting exclusivity and transformation.
• Reverence & Loss: Reflects on lost potential and romanticizes past images of her mother.

Closing Remarks

• Language Use: Engages sensory impressions, metaphorical connections, and detailed visual imagery.
• Final Sentiment: Ends with romanticized, idealized memories, underscoring enduring love and admiration.

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