Before you were mine-Carol Ann Duffy

• "I’m ten years away from the corner you laugh on"


  This line is a reminder of the speaker’s own absence in her mother’s past. The use of present tense creates a vivid image and the joyful imagery suggests a sense of longing.
• "Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn."


  The speaker idolizes her mother and compares her to Marilyn Monroe. The word ‘blows’ suggests a casual and informal atmosphere.
• "I’m not here yet. The thought of me doesn’t occur"

  The use of a full stop indicates a physical separation between the speaker and her mother. There’s a hint of jealousy as the speaker reminds her mother of her possessiveness.
• "The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?"


  The speaker uses colloquial language to express a reminder of her presence and her possessiveness. There’s a sense of regret as she contemplates whether the decade before her birth was the best one for her mother.
• "Before you were mine, your Ma stands at the close"


  The repetition of the title emphasizes the speaker’s possessiveness. The use of colloquialism makes the tone of the poem more personal and intimate.
• These lines reflect the themes of love, nostalgia, and the passage of time that are central to the poem. The poem is a poignant exploration of a daughter’s memories of her mother and her longing to understand her mother’s life before she was born.