Memory And Retrospection In Duffy’s Poetry
Carol Ann Duffy uses memory descriptions to relive family history in “Before You Were Mine”. Duffy imagines the life of her mother before she became a mother in “Before You Were Mine”. Duffy uses this poem to remember her mother as she recalls her mother’s memory and recognizes her before having children. Duffy wants to relive and capture the younger Duffy’s mother, so she imagines what those memories were. Duffy’s first stanza gives us the impression these memories can be evoked through photographs. Her mother is described laughing with friends and Duffy likens the dress that blows around her legs as if it were Marilyn. The tone is one of affection and admiration, as Duffy looks back fondly on her mother’s past.
Duffy switches between past and present in each of the four stanzas. This strategy creates the illusion that her mother is living her past, as if she were narrating it. Duffy uses her memory to show the contrast in her mother’s past and present. Her mother’s excitement before her birth is portrayed with optimism and enthusiasm. Duffy is aware that her mother’s thoughts of having a baby ‘haven’t occurred yet’. She’s too busy with her dancing and her future dreams to even consider the possibility. The ‘film tomorrows’ are a sign of life and a dreamy future for Duffy’s mum. The ‘ballroom of a thousand eye’ could refer to her beauty or the way she danced in the ballroom. It could also be a reference the sparkling balls that are part of a vivid imagination.
The tone in the poem is tender. Duffy conveys a feeling of admiration, fondness, and appreciation for her own mother.
Duffy, despite the optimism and glamour of reliving the past of her mother, projects an inevitability about growing older. In the days when Duffy was a child, the life of a woman at that time was more traditional. Women were expected to marry and have kids. This poem creates a slight sadness by looking back at the past. We can see that the actions of Duffy’s mother were inevitable. Duffy celebrates her youthful optimism, while acknowledging the sacrifices made by her mother for her kids.
Duffy’s “Brothers” alternates past and current to allow her to revisit past memories. She recalls everyday snapshots from their childhoods to describe her brothers. The descriptions are more optimistic and full of potential. These men’s occupations define them as they grow up and leave. Duffy touches on the same theme as “Before You Were Mine,” namely, dreams that fade away with time. Duffy doesn’t seem as close to her brothers in this poem. She uses the past to touch on the theme of dreams that are lost over time. This estrangement was emphasized by her saying “we don’t have anything to say right now.”
Duffy’s mother appears in both poems, but in “Brothers,” the memories are her own. However, they are fragmentary. Duffy’s mum appears in two poems. Whereas in “Before You Were Mine”, her mother was an eye-catching and vibrant presence, the second one is more of a background character. In fact, it is possible to interpret the last phrase as a reference for her death. In the second poem, Duffy’s memories of her mother are less vivid.
