This ostensibly autobiographical poem begins with the speaker reflecting on her mother’s teenage years – her life before children, growing up in working-class Glasgow during the 1950s at a time when young women were supposed to obey their parents, focus on work or domestic life, and save themselves for their future husband. The mother’s rebellious behaviour leads to her going to parties and enjoying her freedom while her own mother waits with a “hiding [beating] for the late one”. When describing her mother’s teenage experiences, Duffy creates a sense of excitement and exuberance, comparing her mother to the glamorous fashion icon Marilyn Monroe. The mother’s enjoyment of life is encapsulated in the image of the “high-heeled red shoes”, which convey the mother’s pleasure in dressing to go out, whilst the colour “red” could symbolise romance and rebellion. Yet Duffy also describes the shoes as “relics”, meaning that the heels have become a historical item which are no longer used.
The word “relics” indicates that the mother’s life changed significantly when the child (the speaker) was born. The arrival of a baby meant the shoes were put away as the mother lost her freedom and instead gained adult responsibilities. The speaker reflects on this significant shift in her mother’s life, asking if “the decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?” Whilst this line contains an element of self-deprecating humour, the speaker does fully realise the pressures of bringing up a child; the word “yell” communicates the oppressiveness and restrictions that can accompany parental responsibilities. Readers are also struck by the unusual use of the adjective “possessive”. We might think that a parent “possesses” their baby, but here Duffy flips this idea on its head, indicating that the baby “possesses” the parent – dominating their life, demanding their time and attention. This motif is also found in the poem’s title and final line (“before you were mine”), which reflects the strength of familial love.
As the poem reaches its conclusion, Duffy reflects on this strong bond between mother and child. Whilst they conform to convention and attend mass (a Christian church service), the mother teaches her daughter to dance on the “wrong pavement”, implying that she is passing her rebellious streak on to the next generation. The poem ends with a complex sense of mourning and celebration of the mother’s life. The speaker recalls her mother’s memory “clear as scent” and almost sees her “ghost”. Her dominant thought of her mother is not of her as a parent, but as a carefree teenager who would “sparkle and waltz and laugh”, relishing her freedom.
This celebration of freedom is mirrored in the poem’s structure and form, as Duffy uses free verse (no particular rhyme or rhythm) and enjambment (run-on lines – no punctuation at the end of a line) to indicate a refusal to conform. This also creates a conversational tone, which is added to be the use of second person and questions. Duffy uses these structural techniques to suggest the strength of the familial bond and to indicate the speaker’s desire to keep this connection – even though her mother has now passed away.
Amy Smith Literature 