Presentation of Family Relationships in Carol Anne Duffy's Poem Before You Were Mine and in One Poem by Simon Armitage
In Carol Anne Duffy's poem "Before You Were Mine", Carol Anne Duffy is
the daughter looking at a photograph of her mother as a young woman,
and describing how she used to be before she was born. The poem is
written as if spoken by Carol Anne Duffy to her mother, and moves
between the present and different times in the past.
This relationship is presented as loving and affectionate by the poet,
as it paints a fond picture of a mother making sacrifices to be able
to bring her daughter up, such as going out, dancing and enjoying
herself with friends and it also celebrates the glamorous life her
mother once had, and the way the poet says "your polka-dot dress blows
round your legs. Marilyn" gives us the image of Marilyn Monroe in "the
Seven Year Itch" in the glamorous scene when her skirt is blown up by
an air vent. The mother is described as having been sparkling,
waltzing, "laughing" and "winking", before the poet was born, before
her mother belonged to her.
The poet shows us that her mother did her best, and also was able to
have fun with her daughter, after completing her responsible
"motherly" duties. This is shown in the poem by the was she teaches
her daughter dance steps, the "Cha cha cha!" on the way back from a
Church service," on the way home from Mass". This is a touching
memory, and places this poem in the past, as the cha cha cha is an
old, glamorous dance, from the mother's youth, which is rarely danced
today.
The way the poet says "I'm ten years away…" "I'm not here yet.", my
loud possessive yell", and the way she repeats "Before you were mine"
also suggests that the poet is a little guilty that her being born
forced her mother to have to give up her old life, make her stop
coming home late from ballroom dances and leave "the fizzy movie
“Abandoned Farmhouse” and “Ode to Family Photographs” both capture the theme, essence of family. However, one poem highlights turbulent times and the other emphasizes flaws that add to the memory of family in a positive way. The mood of “Abandoned Farmhouse” is dark and lonesome, whereas the mood of “Ode to Family Photographs” is fatuous and nostalgic. Each poem shows evidence of a mood which contributes to the overall meaning of the poem.
Early on, poetry was often used with rhyme to remember things more accurately, this still rings true today, even though its use is more often to entertain. However, although it appeals to both the young, in children's books, and the old, in a more sophisticated and complex form, people are bound to have different preferences towards the different styles of poetry. Dobson’s poetry covers a variation of styles that captivate different individuals. “Her Story” is a lengthy poem with shorter stanzas. It’s free verse structure and simplistic language and face value ideas might appeal better to a younger audience. This poem includes quotes with informal language that children or teens would better understand. It’s narrative-based style is easy to follow, and although the poem covers very basic concepts, it’s message is still communicated subliminally. This particular poem is interesting because it focusses on the universal experience of pain and it’s relation to time. Similar to this is “The Householder”, written in a cyclical style, opening with a “house” and ending with a “home”. With only three stanzas, it is
Explore Armitage`s presentation of his relationship with his parents in the poems: Mother, any distance and My father thought Simon Armitage`s two poems are from a collection called Book of Matches
Parent Child Relationships in Before You Were Mine, Kid, On My First Sonne, and The Song Of The Old Mother
makes us think of the author as being like the lord's toy and as soon
In the essay I hope to explain why I picked each poem and to suggest
The poem is written in the father’s point of view; this gives insight of the father’s character and
Family bonds are very important which can determine the ability for a family to get along. They can be between a mother and son, a father and son, or even a whole entire family itself. To some people anything can happen between them and their family relationship and they will get over it, but to others they may hold resentment. Throughout the poems Those Winter Sundays, My Papa’s Waltz, and The Ballad of Birmingham family bonds are tested greatly. In Those Winter Sundays the relationship being shown is between the father and son, with the way the son treats his father. My Papa’s Waltz shows the relationship between a father and son as well, but the son is being beaten by his father. In The Ballad of Birmingham the relationship shown is between
Fulfilling the roles of both mother and breadwinner creates an assortment of reactions for the narrator. In the poem’s opening lines, she commences her day in the harried role as a mother, and with “too much to do,” (2) expresses her struggle with balancing priorities. After saying goodbye to her children she rushes out the door, transitioning from both, one role to the next, as well as, one emotion to another. As the day continues, when reflecting on
We’ve all wondered and wracked our brains over the questions and nature of humankind, to which we have no true and final answers: how every moment lived and this moment you live right now, will simply be a memory, the daunting inevitability of death, life’s transience, the irreversibility of time, the loss of innocence with ages…it is in the human condition to question such things; and this mutual similarity in wonder, to me, is beautiful. I intertwine these universal topics into my poetry, particularly Father & Child and the Violets, to transcend time and provide meaning to a range of different contexts, whilst reflecting my own context and values.
The author uses imagery, contrasting diction, tones, and symbols in the poem to show two very different sides of the parent-child relationship. The poem’s theme is that even though parents and teenagers may have their disagreements, there is still an underlying love that binds the family together and helps them bridge their gap that is between them.
spite of her hardships, she is happy through her words and expressions in the poem.
... is betrayal, jealousy and family destruction in the end. Parents are there to be loved by the children but how Eric and Sheila react to their parents proves that they are not good role models to them. Parents have to provide an example for their children to live up to and options for their life. The birling family do not do that for their children. This family is full of betrayal, no love, no trust and the tragic death of a young girl. Born yesterday is a poem that is diverse to the family in An Inspector Calls. The Relationship Cluster of Poems provides us with different profiled families and how they treat each other. How the relationship between the siblings and the parents is or isn’t working. “Behind every cloud is another cloud”. Could Mr and Mrs Birling have another layer that could show their true self, show care, warmth and kindness they have been hiding?
Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” is a haunting poem that tells the story of a seemingly perfect wife who dies, and then is immortalized in a picture by her kind and loving husband. This seems to be the perfect family that a tragic accident has destroyed. Upon further investigation and dissection of the poem, we discover the imperfections and this perfect “dream family” is shown for what it really was, a relationship without trust.
looks at the time and how the poet's father has lack of control of the