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Year 10 - English

Understanding the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy

'Love and Relationships'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in four groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Duffy presents the life-changing responsibilities of parenthood.

Key Notes

  • The speaker is initially looking at a photo and reminiscing about their mother's life before she had children.
  • The mother's life seemed glamorous, rebellious and full of promise before the speaker was born.
  • The speaker feels her birth made her mother's life more mundane due to the responsibilities of parenthood.
  • Duffy is a feminist writer who often criticises conventional and restrictive roles for women.
  • This poem is semi-autobiographical, based on photographs of Duffy's mother as a young woman.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • mundane: ordinary, lacking excitement or interest
  • feminist: advocating for the social, political, and economic rights of women
  • semi- autobiographical: partially based on the author's own life experiences, events, or perspectives
  • alluring: attractive in a mysterious or tempting way; captivating and seductive
  • relic: an object surviving from a past era, often with historical, cultural, or sentimental significance

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The speaker explains how having children ruined her mother's life.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

The speaker is initially looking at a photo and reminiscing about their mother's life before she had children. The mother's life seemed glamorous, rebellious and full of promise before the speaker was born.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'mundane'

ordinary, lacking excitement or interest.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: The speaker explains how having children ruined her mother's life. Correction: While Duffy does explore how motherhood has contributed to her mother's loss of confidence and freedom, the final stanza of the poem shows them both having fun together so it is evident that there are many positive aspects to motherhood as well.

More Lessons In This Unit

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