Before You Were Mine (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note
Exam code: X824 75
Below is a guide to Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘Before You Were Mine’ in preparation for the SQA National 5 English exam. It includes:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of Duffy’s techniques and methods
Understanding the poem: an exploration of the themes and ideas within Duffy’s poem
Linking the poems: an understanding of how ‘Before You Were Mine’ connects to Duffy’s other prescribed poems for the Scottish text section
Overview
In order to answer questions on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
An overview of the poem
A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Carol Ann Duffy’s intention and message
‘Before You Were Mine’ overview
‘Before You Were Mine’, written by the poet Carol Ann Duffy, is a direct address to a mother reflecting on their life before and after they were a parent. She explores the adult child’s imagined view of her mother as a younger woman as vibrant and free from responsibility to highlight the restrictive element of parenthood.
‘Before You Were Mine’ translation
Lines 1-2
“I'm ten years away from the corner you laugh on
with your pals, Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff.”
Translation
The poem begins directly addressing the speaker’s mother
The speaker refers to her mother’s friends meeting her on a corner
However, she explains that she has not been born yet; her mother will have her in ten years time, indicating the description is of a much younger woman
Duffy’s intention
The poet begins with a description of her mother as she was ten years before she became her parent
Her colloquial reference to her mother’s “pals” presents her mother, and their relationship, as relaxed and friendly
Lines 3-4
“The three of you bend from the waist, holding
each other, or your knees, and shriek at the pavement.”
Translation
The speaker describes the younger woman, before she was a mother, as lively and fun
Duffy’s intention
Duffy imagines her mother as a vibrant woman before motherhood to highlight the independence and freedom she had
Line 5
“Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn.”
Translation
The speaker addresses her mother, describing her as Marilyn Monroe:
Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress, was renown for her glamour and vitality
However, her life was cut short: perhaps Duffy implies motherhood ruins youthful glamour and vitality
Duffy’s Intention
Duffy’s speaker reflects on the freedom and beauty which was once her mother’s before she became a mother by describing her as a glamorous actress whose life was cut short
Lines 6-7
“I'm not here yet. The thought of me doesn't occur
in the ballroom with the thousand eyes, the fizzy, movie tomorrows”
Translation
Here, the speaker explains this was before she was born
Her mother has not even considered motherhood as she is having too much fun
Duffy’s intention
Duffy uses vivid imagery to describe the mother’s future as a young woman, unrestricted by the responsibilities of motherhood
The short sentence, “I’m not here yet” foreshadows that motherhood may change things
Lines 8-10
“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.”
Translation
The speaker talks directly to her mother: her mother was out late dancing and she was punished with a “hiding” (a beating) when she got home
She implies her mother enjoyed dancing so much the punishment was “worth it”
Duffy’s intention
Here, Duffy presents an intimate relationship between daughter and child
She uses an imagined anecdote to present her mother as rebellious and lively
Lines 11-12
“The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?
I remember my hands in those high-heeled red shoes, relics,”
Translation
The speaker explains that the following decade, after she became a mother, was different: her sarcasm suggests she believes it was not as good as life before
She explains how possessive she must have been as a child: taking over the shoes her mother used to dance in and yelling selfishly
Duffy’s intention
Duffy presents an alternative perspective of motherhood
The speaker believes she restricted her mother’s life once she was born
Her mother needed to take care of her instead of dancing
Lines 13-15
“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?”
Translation
The speaker addresses her mother as a ghost, referring to her absence in the daughter’s life
However, the daughter’s close relationship continues as she imagines seeing her mother and talking with her
Duffy’s intention
Duffy presents an intimate conversation between the daughter and her dead mother:
She speaks directly to her as a younger woman
She suggests that as an adult she can understand her mother better now
Lines 16-17
“Cha cha cha! You'd teach me the steps on the way home from Mass,
stamping stars from the wrong pavement. Even then”
Translation
The speaker remembers her mother teaching her how to dance on the way home from church
Duffy’s intention
The speaker’s memory describes her mother as rebellious even as a mother
She danced on the way home from church on the “wrong pavement”
The broken line implies “Even then” could also refer to her younger mother
Lines 18-17
“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.”
Translation
The speaker tells her mother she wanted the spirited, fun nature of her mother
She says that the glamour of her mother remains in the memory of her youth
Duffy’s intention
Duffy presents the daughter’s feelings here: she wishes her mother was more like she was when she was younger
She acknowledges her birth changed her mother and restricted her freedom to be more fun-loving
Writer’s methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections — form, structure and language — it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have.
Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme and includes Carol Ann Duffy’s intentions behind her choices in terms of:
Form
Structure
Language
Form
Carol Ann Duffy’s poem is an informal, personal conversation between the narrator and her mother.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Intimate family relationships | The poem is a direct address to the mother as the speaker (the daughter) reflects on her mother’s life before she was born: “I'm ten years away from the corner you laugh on” | Duffy immediately begins her poem back in time to speak to her mother as she was before her daughter was born: this offers an alternative perspective to parenthood |
Structure
The regular structure of the poem conveys a speaker with composure.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Acceptance and distance | "Before You Were Mine" is a poem of 4 regular stanzas with similar line lengths:
| Duffy presents the daughter’s composure to show her balanced emotions, presenting a theme of acceptance despite the distance between the parent and child:
|
The poem begins and ends on an image of her young mother laughing before she became a parent:
| Duffy’s ending suggests the mother’s vibrant nature ends when her daughter was born, suggesting a sympathetic acceptance of the reality of motherhood |
Language
Carol Ann Duffy uses vivid imagery to bring to life the imagined memory of her mother , in a poem which pays tribute to her mother as a woman outside of her role as a parent.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Family relationships | Rich vivid imagery describes her mother’s youth before she was a parent to show her life as vibrant and fun:
| Duffy shows her mother’s life as exciting and filled with promise to contrast the way her life changes when she becomes a mother: Duffy implies the woman is free before parenthood |
The poet uses colloquial phrases and references to speak directly and specifically to her mother and to describe her as rebellious: “your Ma stands at the close/with a hiding for the late one. You reckon it's worth it. | Duffy implies her mother was punished for being a spirited and rebellious woman, which presents a sympathetic perspective | |
Duffy’s poem uses language which connotes to the possessive nature and responsibilities of motherhood:
| Nevertheless, Duffy’s speaker acknowledges the changes motherhood brings: she uses possessive pronouns to indicate the unrelenting nature of dependent children |
Understanding the poem
For the SQA National 5 English exam, it’s important to show a clear and thoughtful understanding of the poem’s themes and main ideas, as well as how the poet’s techniques and intentions help to convey meaning. This section focuses on two main themes that Duffy examines in ‘Before You Were Mine’:
Individual identity
Loss
Individual identity
‘Before You Were Mine’ presents a vivid portrait of Duffy’s mother before she became a parent, showing her as lively, glamorous, and independent:
The poem contrasts this youthful, carefree version of her mother with the more responsible and domestic figure Duffy knows in the present
Duffy celebrates her mother’s independence and individuality, showing admiration for the woman she was before social expectations shaped her life
The poem highlights how society’s expectations of women, particularly around marriage and motherhood, often limit self-expression and personal freedom
The title, ‘Before You Were Mine’, hints at a shift in identity:
Once her mother became a mother, her life and sense of self became tied to her child
Loss
‘Before You Were Mine’ explores the inevitable loss brought by time:
Youth, freedom and the past self
The poem’s reflective tone reveals Duffy’s awareness that her mother’s earlier life is gone:
It exists only in photographs and memories
Duffy experiences a personal loss:
She mourns the version of her mother she never knew, the joyful young woman in the photo
The possessive title, ‘Before You Were Mine’, carries a sense of guilt:
Duffy feels her arrival may have ended her mother’s carefree years
The final images of “relics” and fading laughter suggest that her mother’s youthful energy survives only as echoes of memory
Rather than despair, the tone is one of tender remembrance:
Duffy accepts that love involves loss and that memory can preserve what time takes away
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the Critical Reading exam, you must write about two different genres. If you choose a Carol Ann Duffy poem for the Scottish text question (Section A), you cannot write about Duffy or any other poem in the critical essay question (Section B). Your Section B answer must be on a different genre.
Linking the poems
Students often use Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry to answer the Scottish texts section of the SQA National 5 Critical Reading exam. If you choose, though, you can write your critical essay question on Duffy’s poetry instead.
If you decide to write about Duffy for the Scottish text section, the final question asks you to demonstrate a wider understanding of her poetry. That means linking more than one poem together by focusing on her ideas and how she communicates them (her techniques).
The six poems Carol Ann Duffy poems on the SQA syllabus are:
‘Before You Were Mine’
‘Originally’
‘Mrs Midas’
‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’
‘Medusa’
‘Havisham’
Here are some parallels between the six poems, organised by shared themes:
Theme: Identity and change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
‘Before You Were Mine’ | ‘Originally’ | ‘Mrs Midas’ | ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ | ‘Medusa’ | ‘Havisham’ |
Identity shaped by motherhood, as a once carefree woman’s sense of self is transformed by responsibility | Identity altered by childhood displacement, as migration and language loss reshape the speaker’s sense of belonging | Identity as a wife is lost and reshaped when her husband’s greed destroys their marriage | Identity develops through coming of age, as childhood innocence gives way to growing awareness | Identity becomes distorted and destructive as jealousy and self-loathing consume the speaker | Identity is consumed by betrayal, leaving the speaker trapped in bitterness and revenge |
Theme: Loss | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
‘Before You Were Mine’ | ‘Originally’ | ‘Mrs Midas’ | ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ | ‘Medusa’ | ‘Havisham’ |
Loss of youth, freedom and time; a daughter mourns the mother’s lost self | Loss of homeland, language, and sense of identity | Loss of love, intimacy, and trust through greed and regret | Loss of innocence as the child transitions to adulthood | Loss of love and humanity as jealousy consumes the speaker | Loss of love and sanity following rejection and isolation |
Theme: Relationships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
‘Before You Were Mine’ | ‘Originally’ | ‘Mrs Midas’ | ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ | ‘Medusa’ | ‘Havisham’ |
Mother–daughter relationship shaped by love and sacrifice, as the daughter reflects on her mother’s lost independence | Family relationships are challenged by migration, cultural change and emotional distance | A marital relationship is destroyed as greed leads to emotional separation and regret | A supportive teacher–pupil relationship provides care and guidance during childhood | A romantic relationship is corrupted by jealousy, suspicion and obsession | A relationship defined by betrayal leaves the speaker trapped in bitterness and emotional fixation |
Sources
‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy (opens in a new tab)
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