‘Before You Were Mine’ by Carol Ann Duffy

  1. Who is the speaker in this poem? 2. Who is the speaker talking to? 3. How long before the speaker’s birth is this poem set? What is the evidence for your answer?

When she was a girl, what was the mother like?   lively emotional excitable thoughtful lonely radiant wild extrovert vivacious thoughtless sensitive hurtful rebellious carefree nervous glamorous

Following the birth of her daughter, how does her life change? ‘the decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?’ ‘my hands in those high-heeled shoes, relics’ ‘you’d teach me the steps on the way home from Mass, stamping stars from the wrong pavement’

How do we know that the speaker feels possessive about her mother?   What other emotions does the speaker feel towards her mother?

Techniques and effects? Synaesthesia Colloquialisms Metaphor Short sentences

Compare how relationships are presented in ‘Before you were mine’ and ‘Mother, any distance’. Introduction – explain what relationships are presented in these poems First poem – language, structure and feelings used to present this relationship Second poem – language, structure and feelings used to present this relationship – compare and contrast with previous poem – look for similarities and differences Conclusion – overall, which poem is most effective at presenting relationships

Introduction - Relationships – both parent and child Introduction - Relationships – both parent and child. Both 1st person child speakers addressing the parent – direct tone. Different emotions expressed. BUWM – metaphors to express feelings. Colloquial tone. Surprising simile – synaesthesia – helps us to visualise mother. MAD – also uses powerful metaphors – anchor and kite. Ambiguous. Like BUWM uses short sentences to explain attitude to the mother. Conclusion – both affectionate poems – explain which technique you find most effective and why.

Compare and contrast the presentation of strong emotions in ‘Hitcher’ and ‘The Laboratory’

The Laboratory Volatile, excitable, changeable Explain why she feels these emotions (intro) How are her feelings conveyed through language and structure Rhyme scheme – strongly marked, rhythmic, lively – reflects her feelings Fast pace Pleasurable obsession with poison – adjectives, questioning, exclamations, contrasts, hyperbole

Hitcher Identify feelings of panic, pride, pleasure – why? (intro) How are these feelings expressed through language and structure More understated than Lab’s hyperbole. Shockingly casual. Takes pleasure in remembering details of the attack – very precise. Pride and pleasure in his own skill. Irregular structure – enjambment – but structure makes certain words/lines stand out. . . Black humour Contrast pleasure by end with stress and fear at start. Similar to Lab in that both feel pleasure at the end – she has pleasure in anticipation – he has pleasure in the memory. Intro – explain why they both have feelings of pleasure, maybe include one key similarity/difference. Try to have clearer overview of what you want to say in this essay, as you start to write. Conclusion – explain most significant similarities and differences in presenting these feelings through language and structure