Understanding the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy
I can explain how Duffy presents the life-changing responsibilities of parenthood.
Understanding the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy
I can explain how Duffy presents the life-changing responsibilities of parenthood.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning 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.
- 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.
Keywords
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 misconception
The speaker explains how having children ruined her mother's life.
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.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Understanding the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the 'Love and Relationships' unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy. This can be found in the AQA Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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