Mean Time

"Mean Time" is a 1993 poetry collection written by the highly acclaimed British poet Carol Ann Duffy. She later made history by becoming the first female UK Poet Laureate. The collection remains one of her most studied works at the university level.

The collection extensively explores themes of love, memory, loss, and the passage of time. Many of the poems are set against bleak urban winter landscapes, reflecting the emotional coldness of the characters. The titular concept of "Mean Time" also acts as a pun on both Greenwich Mean Time and the "mean" emotional periods in life.

One of the most famous poems included in the collection is "Valentine," which presents an onion as a complex metaphor for a romantic relationship. Another highly acclaimed poem in the book is "Before You Were Mine." These poems are frequently featured in school curriculums across the UK.

"Mean Time" received critical acclaim and won both the Whitbread Award (now the Costa Book Award) for Poetry and the Forward Prize for Best Collection. These awards solidified Duffy's status as one of the leading poets of her generation. The book's success helped pave the way for her appointment as Poet Laureate in 2009.