GCSE (9-1): Literature: Poetry: AQA Love and Relationships: Before You Were Mine: Form

Verse definition

a line of poetry

Duffy's general verse style

Duffy often writes in free verse

Form of 'Before You Were Mine'

most likely to be a combination of free form, interior monologue, a eulogy and a biographical poem

general definition of free form poetry

Poetry that is written in irregular lines without any regular meter or noticeable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables; it does not draw on traditional poetic forms and structures

characteristics of free form poetry in 'Before You Were Mine'

written in irregular lines without any regular meter or noticeable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables and not based on traditional poetic forms and structures

effects of free form characteristics in 'Before You Were Mine'

reflects Duffy's mother's desire to be free of the restrictions of tradition, at least in Duffy's own mind

biographical definition

an account of someone's life written by someone else; this poem is based on Duffy's perception of her mother's life

Duffy's personal twist in the biographical style of the poem

there is no suggestion that the poem is tells us truthfully about Duffy's mother's life; it is only Duffy's personal imagination about what her mother's life was like

interior monologue definition

a narrative technique that shows the flow of thoughts going through a character's head that other characters aren't privy to

effects of interior monologue characteristics in 'Before You Were Mine'

creates a deeply personal connection between the reader and Duffy's emotions, denotes self-reflection and creates sympathy because she is unable to express her feelings to her mother, likely because she is deceased

general definition of a eulogy

a speech or written tribute to the deceased, or perhaps to a living person, sometimes in the form of a poem.

characteristics of a eulogy in 'Before You Were Mine'

the poem can be seen as a tribute to her mother after death