Collected Poems

by Edwin Morgan

This collection of lyric epiphanies reveals the focus and refocus of sequences, the wily relocation of words in concrete poems, and the weird rhythms of sound poems. The poet's transforming imagination is democratic, generous, and inclusive. Even the sonnet form becomes a new experiment for a poet of questing and anarchic vision, unwilling to rest on rules. This volume includes Poems of Thirty Years , Themes on a Variation , and some 50 uncollected poems from 1939 to 1982.

Genres: Poetry, Scotland

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Edwin George Morgan OBE was a Scottish poet and translator who is associated with the Scottish literary renaissance. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost Scottish poets of the 20th century. In 1999, Morgan was made the first Glasgow Poet Laureate. In 2004, he was named as the first Scottish national poet: The Scots Makar.

Reviews

[Andrew H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan is a fascinating poet. He rose from an unknown to become one of the major exponents of poetry in the 60s - a figure that shaped a decade as much as Warhol and Ginsburg. Rather like Causley, he is best know today for one or two performance pieces, poems that have overshadowed his continual experimentation (and better poems). Collected Poems includes a vast range of forms and demonstrates his interests in world poetry. As Scotland's first Makar (2004), Morgan has had a stronger influence on Scottish poetry than elsewhere. He should be better known and remembered.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting poems, some nice imagery; the collection contains some more experimental/visual stuff, too. I liked the 'Newspoems' -- I think that's what he called them -- but in general I wasn't enamoured. I might dip into this volume occasionally -- I bought it because of Karine Polwart's song, 'The Good Years', but I can't remember now if I've read the poem she based it on. Or whether it's in here -- I can't remember if it was written by him specifically for that purpose.

[Vincent Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many, many years ago, if not decades, watching late night BBC, during an interval between programs, they inserted a nicely filmed and wonderfully acted version of this poem, which has become one of my favorites:

When you go by Edwin Morgan
When you go,
if you go,
And I should want to die,
there's nothing I'd be saved by
more than the time
you fell asleep in my arms
in a trust so gentle
I let the darkening room
drink up the evening, till
rest, or the new rain
lightly roused you awake.
I asked if you heard the rain in your dream
and half dreaming still you only said, I love you.

It stuck with me and one day I picked up his complete works - he would have beenn 99 this year - and have taken a year or two or so to go through it, a poem a day, mostly, being leisurely about it, nearly 600 pages worth of poems, and, with some noteworthy additions to my favorite list, it is pleasingly completed.

[Margaret Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love his poetry so much, especially his love poems like Strawberries and One Cigarette

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic!

[Katherine Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of his work

[Alenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

all my love -> Edwin Morgan