Before you were mine

"I'm" + "you" - sentence structure.

The separation between the address "you" and "I" highlights a tone of distance between the 2 characters.

- "Ten years away"- word choice.

This situates the poem in fiction, as Duffy cannot be sure of what is actually happening in the photo, but it is taken 10 years before Duffy is born.

- "Corner" - word choice.

May symbolise that the mother is in a liminal state between childhood and adulthood but isn't ready to get older yet.

"Pals" - word choice.

The relaxed, informal tone of 'pals' suggests she is comfortable about her mother and they have an intimate bond.

"Shriek at the pavement"

Shriek' suggests a very jovial and playful image.

Duffy may be mulling over the carefree life her mother was able to live before her birth.

She has no need at this point to consider the future; she is simply living in the moment.

Introduces the theme of freedom and independence which comes before women give birth and have the societal pressures of being a mother.

Duff pay may be commenting on the unfair discrepancies in expectations between mothers and fathers when they have a child.

- "Marilyn." - minor sentence.

Duffy is comparing the image of her mother to the famous actress Marilyn Monroe. This is enclosed in a single word sentence to really emphasise a separation between her mother in the past and then during Duffy's childhood.

Marilyn Monroe committed suicide, so potentially this reference could reflect the unhappiness which was associated with Duffy's birth 10 years later or the image of her mother's freedom and fun dying when she has children.

Marilyn Monroe was iconic and a symbol of glamour.

Female sexuality is intrinsically linked to a woman's individual freedom

- "I'm not here yet." - short sentence.

Foreshadows that motherhood may change things.

- The thought of me doesn't occur" - sentence structure (inversion) + tone. "

Sounds slightly bitter and jealous.

"Fizzy, movie tomorrows" - word choice.

Duffy refers back to her earlier comparison of her mother to Marilyn Monroe.

The mention of 'movies' connotes fiction and stories, which contrasts with the harsh realities of life she was subjected to when Duffy was born, and the responsibilities of being a mother.

Also suggests excitement. Fizzy = butterflies in your stomach.

- "The right walk home" - word choice.

- Suggests the happy, romantic endings portrayed in Hollywood films.

- This idea of alternate futures possible — the feeling when you're young with your whole life ahead of you.

- "Before you were mine" - word choice + repetition.

Duffy repeats the phrase 'before you were mine' to emphasis the importance of this title and the separation she feels from this earlier version of her mother compared to the version that she knew as a child and then an adult.

Also sets a slightly ominous tone.

- "You reckon it's worth it." - short sentence.

Suggests rebellion.

Contrasts when she is older in stanza 4.

- "My loud, possessive yell" - word choice.

Tone of regret that Duffy may have caused her mother to lose the carefree nature of her earlier life before her daughter was born.

Reinforces the idea of belonging that comes from the title.

- "Was the best one, eh?" - question + word choice.

Conversational tone.

Duffy is talking directly to her mother.

- "High-heeled red shoes, relics." - metaphor.

Duffy is acknowledging that the glamour and excitement of her mother's life is behind her.

The word 'relics' is often used to describe artefacts from a historical figure, so this suggests death of her mother's past life after Duffy was born.

- "Your ghost clatters toward me" - word choice.

Suggests that there are moments when Duffy can see her mother as she once was, but the clumsy connotations of 'clatters' convey the awkward movements of a now older woman instead.

This is a stark contrast to the version seen earlier.

- "Clear as scent" - simile.

Employs synaesthesia by blending smell and sight.

This may be Duffy reflecting on the first memories of her mother, though it is vague and unclear as to whether this is a fictional or concrete memory.

- "Sweetheart?" - word choice.

Referring to her mother as 'sweetheart' is rather patronising.

Perhaps demonstrates a reversal in roles.

- "Cha can cha!" - onomatopoeia + exclamation.

Duffy's theme of admiration is clear as she attentively recalls her childhood in a positive light, demonstrated using exclamatory punctuation.

Reminds us of her mother's passion for dancing.

Also shows how lively her mother is.

Duffy didn't want her mother to be boring.

- "Mass" - word choice.

The religious suggestions of 'mass' contrast with the behaviour described of her mother in earlier stanzas, which may be Duffy suggesting a level of hypocrisy in her mother's actions.

- "Stamping stars" - sibilance.

The idea of stars in a pavement refers to the Hollywood walk of fame.

The glamour of the movies is now a contrast to Duffy's mother and her life.

The glamour has been 'stamped' out.

- "Wrong pavement" - metaphor.

Contrasts with the 'right path' from the 2nd stanza.

Suggests that Duffy thinks her mother made the wrong choice in having a child.

- "Winking" - word choice.

Suggests that her mother was flirtatious and cheeky.

Comparison to her mother as a star/bright light.

- "Sparkle and waltz and laugh" - word choice + present tense.

Very positive and jovial verbs, written in present tense, to highlight the change in behaviour and lifestyle her mother experienced after having Duffy as a child.