This poem could be described as both narrative and Autobiographical, but I think it is mainly narrative. In the first stanza Duffy starts with the word, “I’m”. This could mean that it is autobiographical. But then she describes her mother as a teenager and this is narrative.
I also think that the main theme or idea of this poem is one of ‘good times’ in the ‘past’. Maybe Duffy chose to write about this subject because she wasn’t actually there before she was born, so she could write about it as imaginatively as she wanted. She seems to have done this well in my opinion because I knew from the very beginning that is a poem set in the past or reminiscing about the past. This is because the title is ‘Before You Were Mine’.
This poem makes me think about post World War II Britain and the dressing style and socializing habits of the people of that era. I get these images mainly from the third stanza when she says, “Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn”
The word “Marilyn” stands out to me because it is a strong icon of that era (Marilyn Munroe).
Also, her mother’s name is Marilyn and Duffy could be likening her mother to Marilyn Munroe.
This poem is in a loose poem form, as the way it is set out on the page is almost like a story or direct speech. I have noticed this mainly because the sentences don’t end at the end of each line, nor is there a comma, it just carries on onto the next line.
I have noticed a repetition of the word, “I’m”. It occurs at the beginning of every stanza. This could mean that Duffy is expressing her feelings in the poem. She is saying how she feels now and how she would have felt if she was there with her mother at that time, or if she was in her mother’s place at that time.
There is a very big change in the mood of the poem when Duffy says “My loud possessive yell”.
This is quite an aggressive sentence and it seems out of place in this poem because this poem has not had any other reference to aggression or maybe to reality. This could suggest that Duffy is dreaming or she is imagining it to her liking. After this point in the poem, the mood is more modern and cold. In the previous stanzas, although it was in the past, it seemed as though I could see the images, which Duffy described. But in the last two stanzas I found it harder to generate the images in my mind. Maybe this is because the images are described vaguely or with less detail. The best stanza seems to be comprised of her best memories and gives the idea that ‘Before You Were Min’ could be in memory of her mother. This could be linked the point that I made earlier saying that ‘Duffy’s mother could have died’.
In ‘Stealing’, the main theme seems to be cold and lonely. The story of the poem is about someone, probably a boy, who steals a snowman from a garden, and does not see the same snowman when he builds it again. He kicks it, this makes the persona even more likely to be a boy because most girls do not usually have that much aggression for no reason. Then he describes his boredom in life. The persona in this poem could be a teenage boy because he would need to be strong enough carry a snowman but young enough to want to kick a snowman.
Similarly to ‘Before You Were Mine’ this poem seems to have a narrative and an autobiographical theme. It seems to switch between one and the other.
“The most unusual thing I ever stole?”
This sentence shows him talking about himself but it is at the beginning of a narrative story. Also, in his sentence he is admitting that he has stolen other things and probably lots of them.
The first two stanzas in ‘Stealing’ seem to be describing why, or the persona is making excuses for why he stole the Snowman. When he says, “I wanted him”, the sub-text seems to be saying that if he wants something he takes it. Maybe he doesn’t know any better. For example, when he says, “I wanted him, a mate” he may be saying that he wants the Snowman as a friend because he is lonely. This is an ongoing theme throughout the poem. In every stanza there is at least one reference to boredom or loneliness. I have mentioned boredom because when people are bored they are usually on their own.
At the end of the second stanza, he says “life’s tough” this could mean that he wants people to know how tough his life his or he could want to have life as tough as him. This sentence is cold and mean and there seems to be a constant theme of coldness throughout this poem. In ‘Before you were mine’ there was a change in mood about half way through this is different from ‘Stealing’. “As cold as a slice of ice” is another example of coldness, because ice can feel sharp because it so cold, but a slice can of ice can actually be sharp.
The persona seems to be malevolent or evil because he says, “part of the thrill was knowing that children would cry in the morning” This also goes with the main theme, which is one of coldness or meanness. This says that the character of the persona is maybe evil or mean by nature and does not now it. He could also want the children to have a life like him, which refers to my earlier point.
There is not a very strong theme of the past or time in this poem. It is not like ‘Before You Were Mine’ the last few lines may suggest that the persona has stolen another snowman or something which he wants to be his friend. For example, a dog or a cat. I have said this because at the end he says, “you don’t understand a word I’m saying, do you?”.
As in before you were mine the persona seems to be talking to somebody who isn’t there.
