Both Poems (Before You Mere Mine & Eden Rock) present family relationships through the complex nature of memories of their parents through memory and nostalgia, tone and how parents are presented, both poems are written from the child's perspective In Before you were mine Duffy presents the relationship as bittersweet and regretful and the memories are vid and personal and presents the mother as a human who has flaws. The poem is a eulogy written for Duffy’s real mother, looking back at her life before motherhood. Whereas in Eden rock Causley presents family relationships and idealised and peaceful however also presents his parents as perfect and timeless. The poem reflects on Causley’s parents, both of whom died relatively young. In Before You Were Mine Duffy presents nostalgia as vivid and emotional which shows how memories of a parent are very personal. Duffy presents the memory through a temporal shift “I’m ten years away from the corner you laugh on’’ Duffy uses a temporal shift to move between past and present, showing the reader how memories of parent's life before parenthood continue to affect ourselves. Duffy also used visual imagery to show how memories are romanticised “Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs” the sensory detail recreates a specifically vivid moment which emphasis her love for her mother. The poem doesn't follow a regular rhyming scheme and contains frequent enjambment which mirrors the uncontrollable nature of a memory and reinforces nostalgia as vivid and personal rather than orderly. However, in Eden Rock, nostalgia is presented as distant and reflective. Causley uses an extended biblical allusion through the metaphor “They are waiting for me somewhere beyond Eden Rock.” The reference to Eden draws on Christian ideas of paradise and the afterlife, reflecting the poet’s personal life, as Causley wrote the poem after both of his parents had died. The word “beyond” suggests a permanent separation, reinforcing nostalgia as something unreachable rather than something that can be returned to. This creates a sense that the speaker is remembering rather than reliving the past, which may cause the reader to feel sadness and acceptance of loss. This sense of distance is further developed through the simile “The sky whitens as if lit by three suns.” The number three can be linked to the Christian Holy Trinity, further extending the biblical imagery and presenting his parents as pure, spiritual, and almost divine. This creates a dreamlike and idealised setting, suggesting that nostalgia softens memories. Causley’s regular stanza structure creates a calm, controlled tone which presents nostalgia as quiet reflection rather than intense emotion like in “Before You Were Mine”. In Before You Were Mine Duffy presents family relationships through a tone of regret and wistfulness. This is because she feels guilty as her mother had to change for her and she feels bitter that why did she not get to see her “cool mum". Duffy writes; “The thought of me doesn’t occur to you” the use of direct address suggests that Duffy is bitter and jealous. She does this to acknowledge how parent & child relationships are complex and they can’t be entirely positive. Furthermore, Duffy uses a declarative to say; “I’m not here yet.” The adverb “yet” suggests a sense of looming change, foreshadowing the loss of the mother’s independence and creating a bittersweet and regretful tone. Structurally, the tone of regret and wistfulness. Is created through a cynical ending the beginning starts with a memory of her mother being lively and it finishes with a memory of her mother being lively. which reflects the poet's unresolved guilt. However, in “Eden Rock” there is a tone of serenity and peace.by using colloquial imagery “she pours tea from a Thermos". By using colloquial imagery, it makes the memory comforting and familiar. Which suggests memory preserves parents in a gentle, idealised way. Furthermore, the adverb “Leisurely,” suggests an unhurried, relaxed atmosphere. Which juxtaposes with the emotional tension in Before You Were Mine. Causley presents memory as calm and peaceful to suggest that remembering the dead does not have to be painful or overwhelming.