Before You Were Mine: Test (sample answers)

The ballroom with the thousand eyes sets a very romantic scene and we can understand how the poet's mother would have been excited to go there and risk staying out late.

As well as illustrating how the light played on the mirrorball, sending light across the dancefloor, the thousand eyes could refer to the eyes of five hundred potential suitors (real or imaginary) standing round watching, which would have enhanced the excitement even more.

Throughout, the poet is very possessive of her mother. References to her appear constantly (I'm ten years away... I'm not here yet... I remember...). The word Mine appears in the title and the poem actually concludes with the same words as the title, as if the poet is locking her mother in a firm embrace of words.

Examiner's Comment

This answer would be of a Grade A standard.

The line I see you, clear as scent is difficult to understand, because you can't see scent. I think it means that the poet has imagined what her mum must have looked like, waiting by the tree, so clearly that she can almost smell the scene. Also, scent is quite a romantic word - maybe her mum wore scent when she met her boyfriend.

The fact that the poet names her mother's friends, Maggie McGeeney and Jean Duff (which sound like typical names from those times) help us believe in what she is writing. It is more personal - we feel we can get to know her mother's pals too.

Examiner's Comment

This answer would be of a Grade C standard.

The poet's mum used to imagine herself having as a perfect life, as if she was in a film - fizzy, movie tomorrows, if she met the right boy.

The poet says that her mother looked a bit like Marilyn Monroe in her polka-dot dress, which is interesting because her mother probably dreamed of being like Marilyn.

Examiner's Comment

This answer made points which would be of a Grade E standard.