Exploring Edwin Morgan's 'Trio' on Buchanan Street in Glasgow

1. S4 Scottish Text S4 The Poetry of Edwin Morgan 'Trio'

2. S4 Scottish Text S4 'Trio' The second of Morgan’s poems that we will investigate is ‘Trio’. Again, this is among the most famous of Morgan’s poems and it discusses three friends purchasing Christmas gifts on Buchanan Street. In the poem , Morgan considers the Christmas period and examines the sense of hope and optimism that it brings.

3. S4 Scottish Text S4 'Trio' Setting the Scene Buchanan Street is one of the most famous locations in Glasgow. In order to fully understand the poem, an understanding of its setting is important. Buchanan Street as we know it today dates back to 1777 and takes its name from the wealthy tobacco merchant Andrew Buchanan of Buchanan, Hastie and Co.

4. S4 Scottish Text S4 'Trio' Setting the Scene Buchanan Street is one of the most famous locations in Glasgow. In order to fully understand the poem, an understanding of its setting is important. Buchanan Street as we know it today dates back to 1777 and takes its name from the wealthy tobacco merchant Andrew Buchanan of Buchanan, Hastie and Co. Since then, it has become one of the city’s premier shopping locations, generally considered to have higher class shops than other streets in the city.

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11. Creative Writing S4 The picture above is of Buchanan Street in Glasgow at Christmas which is where the poem takes place. Before we begin to look at the poem, try to imagine this location. Think carefully about it and take a note of how it would impact your five senses: Sight, Hearing, Taste, Touch and Smell.

12. Creative Writing S4 You are now going to use these descriptive words to create a paragraph in which you describe what it would be like to be in this location. You should use your knowledge of your five senses to help create a realistic account of how this location could make you feel at this time of year. We will use these ideas as we look at the poem.

13. Creative Writing S4 As I made my way up Buchanan Street, I could feel the sharp December wind around me. I pulled my coat a little tighter and clutched my bags of presents. I could see the glittering Christmas lights reflected in the black gloss of the wet pavement while the familiar chords of Christmas Carols can be heard from the various shops all around me. Market stalls have filled the street with the smells of Christmas and the colours of the season. I love this time of year, and will never tire of hearing the excited chatter of those around me waiting for the magical day to arrive. I can feel the excitement of those children still young enough to believe in the magic of Christmas.

14. S3 Scottish Text S4 'Trio' Before we look at the poem in more detail, it is important to refresh our understanding of the story of the Nativity as the religious aspects of Christmas are important to our understanding of the poem.

15. S4 Luke 2:1,3-5About this time, Caesar Augustus ordered a census of the entire Roman Empire, and so everyone went to their own towns to be registered. Because he was a descendant of King David, Joseph set out from Nazareth to the town of David, called Bethlehem, to register with his pregnant fiancée Mary.

16. Luke 2:6-7It happened, while they were there, that the time came for her to deliver her child, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn son.

17. Luke 2:7She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn.

18. Matthew 2:1-2After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the days of King Herod, some magi from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose, and have come to do him homage.”

19. Matthew 2:7Then King Herod summoned the magi. He sent them off to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search for the young child. When you have found him, let me know, so that I may also go and do him homage.”

20. S3 Matthew 2:9Having listened to the king, the magi set off. The star that they had seen rising went on before them until it came to a stop over the place where the child was.

21. S3 Matthew 2:11They bowed down and did him homage. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

22. Matthew 2:12But the magi were warned in a dream that they should not return to King Herod, and so they travelled back to their own country by a different route.

23. S4 Scottish Text 'Trio' We will now read through the poem together before considering its meaning. If you spot any techniques then feel free to annotate them on your poem. Consider the following • Word Choice • Imagery • Tone • Alliteration • Repetition • Rhyme

24. S4 Scottish Text 'Trio' We will read through the poem twice together, but it will be up to you to form your initial observations and opinions. We will do this through Group Discussion. Before we do this we will have a quick reminder of the rules of successful Group Discussion.

25. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan Coming up Buchanan Street, quickly, on a sharp winter evening a young man and two girls, under the Christmas lights – The young man carries a new guitar in his arms, the girl on the inside carries a very young baby, The setting of the poem is very important. It is a real location and it is familiar to most people who know Glasgow. The ‘sharp winter evening’ sounds cold and uninviting, but it will later contrast with the warmth of the people being described in the poem. The word ‘quickly’ introduces a sense of urgency and vitality.

26. 'Trio' This description serves to expand upon the title, while their youth adds to the freshness and vigour of the poem. The present tense adds to this connection By Edwin Morgan Coming up Buchanan Street, quickly, on a sharp winter evening a young man and two girls, under the Christmas lights – The young man carries a new guitar in his arms, the girl on the inside carries a very young baby, This is the first example of the importance of religious symbolism in this poem. The three people represent the Three Wise Men (the Magi) who visited Christ in the stable with gifts. The ‘Christmas Lights’ become symbolic of the star that the Wise Men followed to Bethlehem.

27. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The description of the ‘new guitar’ introduces the idea of bearing gifts and strengthens the link to the Wise Men. Coming up Buchanan Street, quickly, on a sharp winter evening a young man and two girls, under the Christmas lights – The young man carries a new guitar in his arms, the girl on the inside carries a very young baby, The introduction of the ‘very young baby’ can be seen as a symbol of the baby Jesus and also recalls the bond between Mary and Jesus.

28. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The tiny exotic dog is a reminder of the beasts that lay in the stable with Jesus. and the girl on the outside carries a chihuahua. And the three of them are laughing, their breath rises in a cloud of happiness, and as they pass the boy says, "Wait till he sees this but!" They are happy because it is Christmas, but in many ways their joy is simply human. They are happy to give gifts and happy in each other’s company. It is in many ways nothing to do with the religious aspect of Christmas.

29. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The metaphor ‘cloud of happiness’ comes from the fact that the cold atmosphere makes their breath visible, but it is created through their joy and laughter suggesting that their joy fills the air. and the girl on the outside carries a chihuahua. And the three of them are laughing, their breath rises in a cloud of happiness, and as they pass the boy says, "Wait till he sees this but!" The use of the direct speech helps to bring the characters to life but the addition of ‘but’ marks it as specifically Glaswegian dialect.

30. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The simile suggests the size and shape of the dog, but also warmth and cosiness. Again, this is very Scottish, but also suggests warmth, care and protection. The chihuahua has a tiny Royal Stewart tartan coat like a teapot- holder, the baby in its white shawl is all bright eyes and mouth like favours in a fresh sweet cake, The ‘bright eyes’ reveal the soul of the baby which is bright and pure and full of innocence and hope. The baby is wrapped in a white shawl which suggests innocence and again warmth. Pleasant connotations of ‘fresh and sweet’ as well as links to celebration.

31. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan Like the dog, the guitar is protected by the cover while the word ‘milky’ links to the baby and the idea of nurturing and love. The tinsel and the mistletoe makes it clear that it is a gift. There is a change in register here as we now get the poet’s reaction to the scene that he witnesses. the guitar swells out under its milky plastic cover, tied at the neck with silver tinsel tape and a brisk sprig of mistletoe. Orphean sprig! Melting baby! Warm chihuahua! The vale of tears is powerless before you. Orpheus: The famous musician from Greek mythology, while sprig refers to the mistletoe. The biblical references return with the description of the ‘vale of tears’. The vale of Tears refers to human suffering in life. For the poet, this suffering is brushed aside by the joy that love and friendship can bring.

32. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan Here Morgan makes the defiant statement that it does not really matter if Jesus was born at Christmas or not. Human love and closeness is far more important than religious belief. Human happiness is more important. Triumph of love and affection over religious belief. Whether Christ is born, or is not born, you put paid to fate, it abdicates under the Christmas lights. Here we have one of the key messages of the poem. Our destiny in life is put aside for these moments of joy under the Christmas lights. Notice how the line indent reflects the positioning of the lights.

33. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The ‘monsters’ refer to the bad times of the past and the potential trials of the future are easily forgotten in such moments of love and friendship. Monsters of the year go blank, are scattered back, can't bear this march of three. They are forgotten about. The confidence and happiness of the friends. They each carry something that will bring new found hope and joy as they march into the next year together.

34. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The dash closes the parenthesis from the second line and highlights that this was a brief snapshot. The three have moved on and are lost from the poet’s sight. -And the three have passed, vanished in the crowd (yet not vanished, for in their arms they wind the life of men and beasts, and music, laughter ringing them round like a guard) at the end of this winter's day Another parenthesis to highlight the fact that they have left a warmth with the poet that will not disappear. The repetition of vanished illustrates that their spirit has lingered with the poet. These three carry the things that are important to life and happiness through nature, life and creativity.

35. 'Trio' By Edwin Morgan The simile here suggests that they will be protected and kept safe by their joy and love. Their laughter is an outward sign of their happiness and protects them from harm. -And the three have passed, vanished in the crowd (yet not vanished, for in their arms they wind the life of men and beasts, and music, laughter ringing them round like a guard) at the end of this winter's day Morgan returns to the description of the cold day, but this does not matter. The coldness of the night has been thawed by the warmth of the human spirit that Morgan has witnessed. The tone is one of joy, one of hope and a real positivity for the future of the human race.

36. S3 Scottish Text 'Trio' • Why has the poet chosen the word ‘trio’ as a title? • Why has the poet chosen Buchanan Street as a setting? • How does the poet’s language create a contrast between the three young people and the weather? 4. How does the description of each member of the trio link to the Biblical story? • ‘The young man carries a new guitar in his arms’: • ‘the girl on the inside carries a very young baby’: • ‘and the girl on the outside carries a chihuahua’: 5. ‘Wait till he sees this but!’ What effect does the use of direct speech have? 6. Explain the effect of each simile: • ‘The chihuahua has a tiny Royal Stewart tartan coat like a teapot-holder’: • ‘the baby in its white shawl is all bright eyes and mouth like favours in a fresh sweet cake’:

37. S3 Scottish Text 'Trio' Finding Links... A key skill that you will need to learn is to be able to identify links between the Morgan poems that you study. These can be links between themes as well as links between language. Let us start by thinking about some of the key features of ‘Trio’ 'Trio'

38. S3 Scottish Text 'Trio' Finding Links... 'Trio' Positives of the human spirit An observation of humanity Poetic Techniques including Imagery, word choice, Punctuation.

39. S3 Scottish Text 'Trio' Finding Links... It is this section that we are most interested in. This is where we can find areas of overlap between the two poems. 'Snack-bar' 'Trio'

40. The main connection between the poems is that both poems see the positivity of the human spirit, although ‘Snack-bar also sees its suffering. S3 Scottish Text 'Trio' Finding Links... Morgan uses effective word choice and imagery in both poems to add realism. Both poems deal with encounters that Morgan has had in the city. In ‘Snack-bar’, he becomes fully involved in the scene by taking the man to the toilet. In ‘Trio’, he simply observes. Both poems accept the fact that human life involves suffering…however, both poems also see the positives. ‘Snack-bar’ in many ways celebrates the man’s persistence. ‘Trio’ celebrates the joy of family and friendship. 'Snack-bar' 'Trio'