Carol Ann Duffy: 'Before You Were Mine' Mr Bruff Analysis

[@kendralaryea8235]

Sorry, can I just say that you are AMAZING. HONESTLY. I have sat here for about two hours straight binge watching your videos and taking notes. THIS IS TALENT. Forget singing, or dancing, THIS IS PURE TALENT. THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH. Okay i'm going to go back to watching your other videos now! THANKS ONCE AGAIN.

[@mrbruff]

+Kendra Laryea thanks!

[@rubens5689]

Mr Bruff, you are a god amongst men thank you . Undying english legend

[@mrbruff]

+Rob bobthecorncob I am no god. God is God. I am just a man with a passion for poetry

[@poppyella2205]

Someone put this on a t-shirt.

[@wolfstyler1335]

lol

[@harriethunter1105]

I totally agree!

[@shaggyrogers442]

Ruben Saliasi astaghfirullah

[@jemima6407]

Could you perhaps say that 'stamping stars from the wrong pavement' connotes an image of the Hollywood walk of fame suggesting that she believes that mother should be leading a life of glamour and excitement - where 'stamping stars' suggests that she should be 'making her mark' in the world and 'stamping' her own 'star'- as this is what iconic figures and celebrities do when the have their own star's embedded on the pavement, but instead she's living the 'wrong' kind of life and (as you mentioned) she should living in a much more glamorous setting... I hope you understand what I am trying to say I find it difficult to express my self sometimes >

[@Ritik-2309]

Thanks for that ill use it if I can in the exam.

[@brizzybleeeks]

the harsh cacophonous language within this quote could also be juxtaposing the sense of admiration from the daughter, and as you said it reflects a tone of resentment towards the glamorous life she lost, emphasised by the sibilance in 'stamping stars'.

[@DarkDaysInPurple]

THANKS FOR THE IDEA IM WRITIBG IT

[@faybestimecapsule6019]

@@DarkDaysInPurplereal

[@refinedmanhood00]

Amazing 🎉

[@JJoandrew]

I'm years beyond gcse/a level now. But I used to use your videos for my English exams. And I still like to watch your videos sometimes, your analysis makes English so interesting 👏🏼👏🏼

[@mrbruff]

+Joanne Kiang brilliant!

[@stacey368]

I watched this video this morning before the exam and it came up!! Thank you so much I used so many of your ideas in my essay

[@evawalters2267]

Who else compared this to mother any distance?

[@bengper8044]

Yep, it's the easiest :)

[@khadijanawaz1100]

sure is, studying it at the same time at school ;)

[@hamsandwich4243]

We have to compare them for our assessment ugh 😑

[@dontworry4019]

@@khadijanawaz1100 do u have ur papers I have a test on that tomorrow

[@dontworry4019]

@@bengper8044 do u have your papers I have a test tomorrow

[@urcute9696]

My teacher told me to come to you for revising. Thank you your amazing! 👏🏼

[@gradeagamer6264]

You, freesciencelessons, and khanacdemy are the pillars of the education world. Thank you so much for these videos, I don't know where I'd be (in terms of English grades) without you. Hats off to you for this excellent video!

[@mrbruff]

Thank you!

[@gradeagamer6264]

​@@mrbruff My test is tomorrow, and I'm so certain I'm going to ace it! The last test I got full marks, and that was on my own, and with these videos, I'm definitely breaking the grading system and getting 7+/7, that's how confident I am!

[@aa23k51]

Where would we be without Mr.Bruff? That's obvious, we would be failing GCSE poetry and be sat wondering what each word means as our lives fell apart in an existential crisis

[@willyweb3906]

That moment when a teacher tell you to watch a KZbin video for prep 👌👍

[@mrbruff]

yeah!

[@noams8745]

Who else is here for online English cause of the coronavirus?

[@Bored_Zomb]

Me. I got a homework on this and it is driving me up the wall

[@kaylondon8458]

Sabrewulf 16 me too i have to analyse all the most of the poems on my own now 😐

[@crankyderrick7873]

yup #covid19

[@charliepearson9528]

Yup

[@shelby5994]

Cath Pearson I replied

[@Alexnstein360]

these got me through my GCSEs and im sure this will get me through my A levels

[@simransaini315]

you just saved my gcse grade. thank u so much

[@wlh1350]

@mrbruff thankyou so much I have an English assessment tomorrow and I was getting last minute revision and im hoping I get a good grade thank you.

[@rosageorgiou2903]

Brilliant! Another point to add, which builds onto your idea's of the mother finding herself stuck in this very rigid path, which follows that which a woman would have been expected to take, is the use of 'Marilyn'. Marilyn Monroe is, of course, an iconic example of a woman who was early to disattach from this path, becoming a sex symbol, so to speak.However, she was found dead after an overdose at the age of 36, and had been suffering from great depression previous to her death. THE definitiveness of the 'Marilyn.' at the end of the sentence could be seen as an interpretation of the veiws of society over young woman becoming empowered. Perhaps Duffy recognised this and used it to solidify the attitudes of society which, as a consequence, led to her mother taking a different path.

[@mrbruff]

+Rosa Georgiou thanks

[@JeloMello]

Incredible!

[@SpookyUK.]

I’m a 15 year old student (whom finds this video absolutely amazing) but I’m sorry to point out the 5:37 made me crack up so much 😂😂

[@masked9381]

lmao

[@SpookyUK.]

@No y o u you have no sense of humour and this is a 2 yr old comment

[@abiodun7066]

I'm here for my English holiday homework.

[@harriethunter1105]

Mr Bruff - Your videos are AMAZING thank you so much, all your analysis makes so much sense and I now understand poetry and language papers. THANK YOU

[@jessanderson4419]

thank you so much for all your videos and books, they help me so much :)

[@racenation610]

Thx MR BRUFF for another vid, I really like it.

[@DarkDaysInPurple]

Thank you so much for explaining i was going to finsished this poem yesterday as the last one left for my mocks but i was so bamboozled and couldnt understand what was happening. But thank you!!!

[@matthewoliver1116]

For the Dramatic Monologue analysis, could Duffy be saying that the partying, youth side of her mother is almost fictional to her, as she never witnesses it herself?

[@liamiddleton6054]

That's a good idea actually

[@m33sh50]

hi mr bruff my exam is tmrw and i was just wondering - for clear as scent could you also say that scent is ambiguous and therefore it alludes to her not actually knowing her mother then, but her longing desire to have known the carefree girl in every way . ?

[@Babes-sq6mb]

Mr Bruff will you be creating an ebook for the Love and Relationship cluster poems? I would definitely buy it.

[@mrbruff]

I'm afraid not

[@llamalee280]

You’ve saved my grades from dropping thank the bruff

[@wikeylorc5160]

Hello Mr Bruff. I'm currently in Year 11 and I've been told to analyse all of the Power & Conflict poems for my upcoming exam. However, I really need help. I've noticed you analysed some of them and it really helped and I was wondering if you could analyse those as well: •'London' by William Blake •'Storm on the Island' by Seamus Heaney •'Remains' by Simon Armitage •'Poppies' by Jane Weir •'War Photographer' by Carol Ann Duffy •'Tissue' by Imtiaz Dharker •'The Emigrée' by Carol Rumens •'Checking out me History' by John Agard •'Kamikaze' by Beatrice Garland Thank you for everything Mr Bruff :)

[@mrbruff]

+Wiki Lrk coming soon!

[@wikeylorc5160]

Thank you!

[@HxnnahTheHajPetter]

Thanks for saving my life my dude.

[@hamzaxx6722]

Good luck for the ones doing English lit paper 2 today Friday

[@jakeamos6249]

this is a really good way to revise thxs Mr Bruff

[@mrbruff]

+jake amos no problem!

[@thomasirvine3791]

Great video. One question; what does the use (in part) of dramatic monologue tell us about the feelings of the poet towards her mother?

[@jacobfreedland4434]

Hello, how could you relate some of the structural and language devices to the next of the position of women in that time period?

[@oskarwitha_k8258]

Wow your honestly a god and a life saver

[@mrbruff]

I’m not a god!

[@maggie7960]

Using this for A level, thank you!!

[@PINEAPPLE-jp2rv]

God bless you Mr bruff

[@mrbruff]

+Sara teklies thanks: He does!

[@sarahlouxo5046]

You aware my savour. How can I develop to make it alevel sir?

[@Aurora-wb2wc]

Hi Mr Bruff, great video, really helped me! May I ask that you do some videos on 'The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time' (play version) by Simon Stephens? Because this is the book/play which also appears in the same exam of the AQA poetry in Literature. if so, that would be amazing! Thank You.

[@adamchoudhury4551]

utuxotwod exactly. Im doing it for my mock exams

[@bdavies8214]

im so nervous for my literature exam 25th may?????

[@mahammad]

Same

[@hyenaplays5860]

little thought: the fictional dramatic monologue form is reflected in the mother's fairy tale youth...?...?

[@user-te9ex5gf1l]

YOU HELP ME PASS

[@clarestock2166]

Can you please do Neutral Tones. Thanks a lot

[@mrbruff]

+Clare Stock done it! Check my playlists

[@na9420]

My school doesn't do poem context

[@ammarali7097]

Its ao3

[@callummullaney2353]

Thanks for the video Mr Bruff, what album were you listening to whilst cutting the grass?

[@mrbruff]

I'm sorry, I have no idea!

[@jeonsoyeon3749]

mr bruff u made me go from a 4 to a 9 in one night revision thank you

[@24kings57]

when is your gcse?

[@jeonsoyeon3749]

@@24kings57 first one on the 13th may

[@24kings57]

@@jeonsoyeon3749 Mine is on 15th

[@24kings57]

@@jeonsoyeon3749 Waitttt, tell me the questions since your doing it earlier, you have aqa?

[@jeonsoyeon3749]

24 Kings wait acc mine might be the 15th too yea i’m aqa and i do it at the same time as everyone else lol

[@georgetaylor1906]

So Duffy is good for more than just heading

[@miawalters6182]

So helpful, thank you!

[@mrbruff]

great!

[@kalinametodieva7681]

Can I use jut this analysis and context for my GCSE exam and still get an 8 or 9????

[@kierataylor7701]

Kalina Metodieva no, my English teacher said this is the bare minimum and to get an 8 or 9 you need to be perceptive and think outside of the box cause everyone will be putting the same analysis and seeing something original will get you the high marks

[@poltergeist-5243]

was there a sheep bleating somewhere in the video or should i get some sleep

[@Nice_Boy_555]

Anyone doing last minute revision

[@ridabatool8970]

niceboy555 yhhh

[@Nice_Boy_555]

@@ridabatool8970 good luck for the test my guy

[@louiedoorbar5647]

Anyone here for school homework and compared it to mother, any distance?

[@paulinaa1919]

yes!! any tips?

[@brizzybleeeks]

also, could you refer to 'sparkle and waltz and laugh' as a polysyndetic structure?

[@jessanderson4419]

my teacher said you can ahah so i guess so

[@blockcrazygirl6195]

Great video but I wouldn't watch in my free time, I am only here cause of Corona and my English teacher.

[@kierans1289]

yup same here

[@inayat7653]

Is a verse the same thing as a stanza?

[@user-uj5ti1ut4e]

Inayat Matin yuppp

[@taahakhalifa8072]

Level 9?

[@mrbruff]

+Taaha Khalifa with the points on structure and form I would say so, yes.

[@taahakhalifa8072]

thanks

[@brizzybleeeks]

you pronounce 'laureate' incorrectly

[@mrbruff]

I know this now

[@amirakhan9731]

who else studying this poem for e-learning

[@gcnelite5983]

duffy beer

[@milorussell2370]

I am disappointed no Eminem reference

[@bloo_110]

Hey notification squad where you at???

[@charmed_c]

I think you're missing something from the 'wrong pavement' part. She's coming home from Mass, she's a mother, she shouldn't be thinking about these things from the past or dancing on the pavement. You're missing out the Catholic guilt. That what she's doing is 'wrong' but that's the part her daughter really liked and wished she had seen more of. Also 'Marilyn' - I'm from Glasgow so I know this would be a joke. Like if someone saw her and said Marilyn the mother would have laughed, enjoying the compliment. This kind of throw away comment is a common way of making a joke in Glasgow.

[@mrbruff]

+Colette Lynagh great points

[@cloeywalker4811]

this poem confuses meh!

[@Fun7ik]

Who has to do homework on this

[@leoholme2875]

I got it due in 10 mins