Edwin George Morgan (27 April 1920 – 17 August 2010)
, ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

''. was a Scottish poet and translator associated with the

Scottish Renaissance The Scottish Renaissance ( gd, Ath-bheòthachadh na h-Alba; sco, Scots Renaissance) was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid-20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scot ...

. He is widely recognised as one of the foremost Scottish poets of the 20th century. In 1999, Morgan was made the first Glasgow

Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

. In 2004, he was named as the first Makar or National Poet for Scotland.

Life and career

Morgan was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and grew up in

Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...

. His parents were

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

. As a child he was not surrounded by books, nor did he have any literary acquaintances. Schoolmates labelled him a swot. He convinced his parents to finance his membership of several book clubs in Glasgow. The ''Faber Book of Modern Verse'' (1936) was a "revelation" to him, he later said. Morgan entered the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1937. It was at university that he studied French and Russian, while self-educating in "a good bit of Italian and German" as well. After interrupting his studies to serve in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

as a

non-combatant Non-combatant is a term of art in the law of war and international humanitarian law to refer to civilians who are not taking a direct part in hostilities; persons, such as combat medics and military chaplains, who are members of the belliger ...

conscientious objector with the Royal Army Medical Corps, Morgan graduated in 1947 and became a lecturer at the University. He worked there until his retirement as a full professor in 1980. Morgan described 'CHANGE RULES!' as 'the supreme graffito', whose liberating double-take suggests both a lifelong commitment to formal experimentation and his radically democratic left-wing political perspectives. From traditional sonnet to blank verse, from epic seriousness to camp and ludic nonsense; and whether engaged in time-travelling space fantasies or exploring contemporary developments in physics and technology, the range of Morgan's voices is a defining attribute. Morgan first outlined his sexuality in ''Nothing Not Giving Messages: Reflections on his Work and Life'' (1990). He had written many famous love poems, among them "Strawberries" and "The Unspoken", in which the love object was not gendered; this was partly because of legal problems at the time but also out of a desire to universalise them, as he made clear in an interview with Marshall Walker. At the opening of the Glasgow LGBT Centre in 1995, he read a poem he had written for the occasion, and presented it to the centre as a gift. In 2002, he became the patron of Our Story Scotland. At the opening of the Scottish Parliament building in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

on 9 October 2004,

Liz Lochhead Liz Lochhead Hon FRSE (born 26 December 1947) is a Scottish poet, playwright, translator and broadcaster. Between 2011 and 2016 she was the Makar, or National Poet of Scotland, and served as Poet Laureate for Glasgow between 2005 and 2011. E ...

read a poem written for the occasion by Morgan, titled "Poem for the Opening of the Scottish Parliament". She was announced as Morgan's successor as Scots Makar in January 2011. Near the end of his life, Morgan reached a new audience after collaborating with the Scottish band Idlewild on their album '' The Remote Part''. In the closing moments of the album's final track "In Remote Part/ Scottish Fiction", he recites a poem, "Scottish Fiction", written specifically for the song. In 2007, Morgan contributed two poems to the compilation '' Ballads of the Book'', for which a range of Scottish writers created poems to be made into songs by Scottish musicians. Morgan's songs "The Good Years" and "The Weight of Years" were performed by

Karine Polwart Karine Polwart ( ) (born 23 December 1970) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide. She has been most recognised f ...

and Idlewild respectively. Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney "

aid In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. Ai ...

formal homage" during a 2005 visit. In later life Morgan was cared for at a residential home as his health worsened. He published a collection in April 2010, months before his death, titled ''Dreams and Other Nightmares'' to mark his 90th birthday. Up until his death, he was the last survivor of the canonical 'Big Seven' (the others being Hugh MacDiarmid, Robert Garioch, Norman MacCaig,

Iain Crichton Smith Iain Crichton Smith, (Gaelic: ''Iain Mac a' Ghobhainn''; 1 January 1928 – 15 October 1998) was a Scottish poet and novelist, who wrote in both English and Gaelic. He was born in Glasgow, but moved to the Isle of Lewis at the age of two, ...

George Mackay Brown George Mackay Brown (17 October 1921 – 13 April 1996) was a Scottish poet, author and dramatist with a distinctly Orcadian character. He is widely regarded as one of the great Scottish poets of the 20th century. Biography Early life and caree ...

, and Sorley MacLean). On 17 August 2010, Edwin Morgan died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

in Glasgow at the age of 90.Scotland's national poet Edwin Morgan dies aged 90
, STV. The Scottish Poetry Library made the announcement in the morning. Tributes came from, among others, politicians

Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...

and

Iain Gray Iain Cumming Gray (born 7 June 1957) is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 to 2011. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the East Lothian constituency from 2007 to 2021, having ...

, as well as

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...

, the UK Poet Laureate. The next day it was announced that all of the bequest would be used for the party's independence referendum campaign. Morgan also left £45,000 to a number of friends, former colleagues and charity organisations and set aside another £1 million for the creation of th
Edwin Morgan Poetry Award
an annual award scheme for young poets in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. In 2012
The Edwin Morgan Trust
was established to administer the generous Award which the poet wished to create from the earnings of a long and distinguished writing career. From 27 April 2020 The Edwin Morgan Trust will be celebrating the life and work of Edwin Morgan with
year long centenary programme

Poetry

Morgan worked in a wide range of forms and styles, from the sonnet to concrete poetry. His ''Collected Poems'' appeared in 1990. He has also translated from a wide range of languages, including Russian, Hungarian, French, Italian,

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, Spanish, Portuguese, German and

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

(''Beowulf''). Many of these are collected in ''Rites of Passage. Selected Translations'' (1976). His 1952 translation of ''Beowulf'' has become a standard translation in America. Morgan was also influenced by the American

beat Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery (c ...

poets, with their simple, accessible ideas and language being prominent features in his work. His poetry may be studied as a Scottish Text for National 5 English. Currently, if Edwin Morgan is studied at National 5, pupils study: "Winter" – a depressed narrator describing Bingham's pond during winter; "In the Snackbar"; "Glasgow 5 March 1971"; "Good Friday" – a poem about a bus journey on the christian holiday; "Trio" – a tale about the power of friendship; Glasgow Sonnet (I) – a

petrarchan sonnet The Petrarchan sonnet, also known as the Italian sonnet, is a sonnet named after the Italian poet Francesco Petrarca, although it was not developed by Petrarch himself, but rather by a string of Renaissance poets.Spiller, Michael R. G. The Develop ...

about poverty. In 1968 Morgan wrote "Starlings in George Square". This poem could be read as a comment on society's reluctance to accept the integration of different races. Other people have also considered it to be about the Russian Revolution in which "Starling" could be a reference to "Stalin". Other notable poems include: * "The Death of Marilyn Monroe" (1962) – an outpouring of emotion and a social criticism after the death of prominent actress,

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

* "King Billy" (1968) – flashback of the gang warfare in Glasgow led by Billy Fullerton in the 1930s. * "Glasgow 5 March 1971" – robbery by two youths by pushing an unsuspecting couple through a shop window on

Sauchiehall Street Sauchiehall Street () is one of the main shopping streets in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland, along with Buchanan Street and Argyle Street. Although commonly associated with the city centre, Sauchiehall Street is over in length. At its ...

* "In the Snackbar" – concise description of an encounter with a disabled pensioner in a Glasgow café. * "A Good Year for Death" (26 September 1977) – a description of five famous people from the world of popular culture who died in 1977 * "Poem for the Opening of the Scottish Parliament" – which was read by

at the opening ceremony because he was too ill to read it in person. (9 October 2004)

Published work

Books

* ''Dies Irae'', 1952 – first published in ''Poems of Thirty Years'', Carcanet New Press, 1982 * ''Beowulf: A Verse Translation into Modern English'', Hand and Flower Press, 1952 * ''The Vision of Cathkin Braes and Other Poems'', William MacLellan, 1952 * ''The Cape of Good Hope'' (limited edition), Pound Press, 1955 * ''Poems from Eugenio Montale'' (translator), School of Art, University of Reading, 1959 * Sovpoems: Brecht, Neruda, Pasternak, Tsvetayeva, Mayakovsky, Martynov, Yevtushenko (translator), Migrant Press, 1961 * Collins Albatross Book of Longer Poems (editor), Collins, 1963 * Starryveldt, Eugen Gomringer Press, 1965 * Emergent Poems, Hansjörg Mayer, 1967 * Gnomes, Akros publications, 1968 * The Second Life, Edinburgh University Press, 1968 * Selected Poems of Sándor Weöres and Selected Poems of Ferenc Juhász (translator and introduction for Sándor Weöres), Penguin, 1970 * The Horseman's Word: Concrete Poems, Akros, 1970 * Twelve Songs, Castlelaw Press, 1970 * Glasgow Sonnets, Castlelaw Press, 1972 * Instamatic Poems, Ian McKelvie, 1972 * Wi the haill voice: 25 poems by Vladimir Mayakovsky (translator and glossary), Carcanet, 1972 * From Glasgow to Saturn, Carcanet, 1973 * Nuspeak8: Being a Visual Poem by Edwin Morgan, Scottish Arts Council, 1973 * The Whittrick: a Poem in Eight Dialogues, Akros, 1973 * Essays, Carcanet, 1974 * Fifty Renascence Love-Poems (translator), Whiteknights Press, 1975 * Rites of Passage (translator), 1976 * Edwin Morgan: an interview by Marshall Walker, Akros, 1977 * The New Divan, 1977 * Selected poems by August Graf von Platen-Hallermünde (translator), Castlelaw Press, 1978 * Star Gate: Science Fiction Poems, Third Eye Centre, 1979 * Scottish Satirical Verse (compiler), Carcanet, 1980 * Grendel, Mariscat, 1982 * Poems of Thirty Years, Carcanet New Press, 1982 * The Apple-Tree (modern version of a medieval Dutch play), Third Eye Centre, 1982 * Takes/Grafts, Mariscat, 1983 * Sonnets from Scotland, Mariscat, 1984 * Selected Poems, 1985 * From the Video Box, Mariscat, 1986 * Newspoems, Wacy, 1987 * Tales from Limerick Zoo (illustrated by David Neilson), Mariscat, 1988 * Themes on a Variation, 1988 * Collected Poems (republished 1996 with index), 1990 * Crossing the Border: Essays on Scottish Literature, 1990 * Nothing Not Giving Messages: Reflections on his Work and Life (edited by Hamish Whyte), Polygon, 1990 * Hold Hands Among the Atoms: 70 Poems, Mariscat, 1991 * Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac: A New Verse Translation (translator), 1992 * Fragments by József Attila (translator), Morning Star Publications, 1992 * MacCaig, Morgan, Lochhead: Three Scottish Poets (edited and introduced by Roderick Watson), Canongate, 1992 * Cecilia Vicuña:PALABRARmas/WURDWAPPINschaw, Morning Star Publications, 1994 * Sweeping Out the Dark, 1994 * Long Poems – But How Long? (W. D. Thomas Memorial Lecture), University of Wales, Swansea, 1995 * Collected Translations, 1996 * St. Columba: The Maker on High (translator), Mariscat, 1997 * Virtual and Other Realities, 1997 * Chistopher Marlowe's Dr Faustus (a new version), Canongate, 1999 * Demon, Mariscat, 1999 * A.D.: A Trilogy of Plays on the Life of Jesus, Carcanet, 2000 * Jean Racine: Phaedra (translation of

Phèdre ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Composition and premiere Wit ...

), 2000 (

Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize is an annual literary prize for any book-length translation into English from any other living European language. The first prize was awarded in 1999. The prize is funded by and named in honour of Lord Weidenfe ...

) * New Selected Poems, 2000 * Attila József: Sixty Poems (translator), Mariscat, 2001 * Cathures, 2002 * Love and a Life: 50 Poems by Edwin Morgan, Mariscat, 2003 * The Battle of Bannockburn (translator), SPL in association with Akros and Mariscat, 2004 * Tales from Baron Munchausen, Mariscat, 2005 * The Play of Gilgamesh, 2005 * Thirteen Ways of Looking at Rillie, Enitharmon, 2006 * A Book of Lives, 2007

Articles

* ''The Politics of Poetry'', review of ''Yeats, Eliot, Pound and the Politics of Poetry'' by

Cairns Craig Robert Cairns Craig (born 16 February 1949) is a Scottish literary scholar, specialising in Scottish and modernist literature. He has been Glucksman Professor of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen since 2005. Before that, ...

, in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), ''

Cencrastus ''Cencrastus'' was a magazine devoted to Scottish and international literature, arts and affairs, founded after the Referendum of 1979 by students, mainly of Scottish literature at Edinburgh University, and with support from Cairns Craig, then a ...

'' No. 12, Spring 1983, p. 44, * '' Novy Mir and the Stalinist Whirlwind'', a review of ''Within the Whirlwind'' by Eugenia Ginsburg and ''" Novy Mir": A Case Study in the Politics of Literature 1952 - 1958'' by Edith Rogovin Frankel (ed.), in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), ''

'' No. 14, Autumn 1983, p. 54,

Reviews

* Hearn, Sheila G. (1980), review of Edwin Morgan (ed.), ''Scottish Satirical Verse'', in ''

'' No. 4, Winter 1980-81, p. 49,

Awards and honours

* 1972 PEN Memorial Medal (Hungary) * 1982 OBE * 1983 Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award for ''Poems of Thirty Years'' * 1985

Soros Translation Award George Soros ( name written in eastern order), (born György Schwartz, August 12, 1930) is a Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist. , he had a net worth of US$8.6 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated mo ...

(New York) * 1998 Stakis Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year for ''Virtual and Other Realities'' * 2000

Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry is awarded for a book of verse published by someone in any of the Commonwealth realms. Originally the award was open only to British subjects living in the United Kingdom, but in 1985 the scope was extended to in ...

* 2001

for ''Jean Racine: Phaedra'' * 2002 The

Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...

's Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun award for notable service to Scotland * 2003 Jackie Forster Memorial Award for Culture * 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature, from the Saltire Society and the

Scottish Arts Council The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from the ...

* 2007 Shortlisted for T. S. Eliot Prize for ''A Book of Lives''. * 2008 Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award

References

External links

Edwin Morgan Trust official site – home of the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and 2020 Edwin Morgan Centenary

The Edwin Morgan Archive at the Scottish Poetry LibraryEnitharmon Press
website
BBC Scotland biography and bibliography
website
"Strawberries"
via ''The Guardian'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Edwin 1920 births 2010 deaths Academics of the University of Glasgow Alumni of the University of Glasgow Officers of the Order of the British Empire Scottish conscientious objectors People educated at the High School of Glasgow British Poetry Revival Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature British gay writers Scottish LGBT poets Writers from Glasgow People from Rutherglen People educated at Rutherglen Academy Scots Makars Scottish Renaissance Scottish scholars and academics Scottish translators Royal Army Medical Corps soldiers British Army personnel of World War II Deaths from pneumonia in Scotland Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Hungarian–English translators 21st-century Scottish writers 20th-century Scottish poets 21st-century Scottish poets 21st-century British male writers Scottish male poets Scottish science fiction writers 20th-century British translators 21st-century British translators 20th-century British male writers Claddagh Records artists Scottish republicans