Trio Flashcards
What themes are considered by Morgan in Trio?
- Value of happiness
- Human worth
- True happiness comes from generosity and selflessness
- Joyfulness and giving dispels grief
Line 1: “Coming up Buchanan Street, quickly, on a sharp evening”
“Buchanan Street” sets a specific location and emphasises how it is based in the heart of a busy town.
The word “sharp” has connotations of rawness which emphasises the very cold temperatures, that it is almost sore and keeps you alert.
Line 3: “The young man carries a new guitar in his arms,”
The word “young” has connotations of youth and energy which establishes the liveliness of the man early on in the story.
The word “carries” has connotations of love, pride and safety which emphasises how carrying the guitar brings out a warm feeling to the poem.
The guitar is a representation of a Christmas spirit and giving. It symbolises the joy of giving Christmas time, highlighting the festive tone of the poem.
Lines 6-7: their breath rises / in a cloud of happiness
”cloud of happiness”
Just as a cloud is vast and can be seen by everyone, so too this suggests that the trio’s happiness is visible for all to see, with its effects felt by everyone around them, adding to the positive mood of sharing joy.
Line 4: “the girl on the inside carries a very young baby,”
The phrase “on the inside” has connotations of protection and safety which emphasises how the girl and baby is kept safe by not being exposed on the outside.
The phrase “very young baby” has connotations of young life, happiness, innocence and cleanliness emphasises how it is a direct biblical allusion to the pure spirit of Jesus, born on Christmas Day.
Line 9: The chihuahua has a tiny Royal Stewart tartan coat like a teapot-holder,
‘tiny’ has connotations of being small and innocent, emphasising that the chihuahua is very cute and loveable.
Just as a teapot-holder keeps tea warm, so too this suggests that the dog is very snug and warm while in his tartan, which is befitting for a cold day.
Line 13: “The vale of tears is powerless before you.”
Just as a vale of tears is an vast abundance of sadness and grief, and is also a biblical allusion which refers to life’s hardships. This emphasises how life’s hardships and evils are negated because of the goodwill and happiness of the trio.
Line 14: Whether Christ is born or not born,
The author makes it clear that the Biblical story of Christmas does not overpower or counteract the trio’s happiness and selflessness, showing that it is not just religion that makes people happy.
Lines 14-16: “you put paid to fate, it abdicates / under the Christmas lights.”
“Fate” is personified as an enemy or foe to happiness. “Abdicates” has connotations of giving up or quitting which emphasises how fate is forced to submit to the trio’s joy and goodwill which highlights how their enjoyment counteracts negativity.
Lines 17-18: Monsters of the year / go blank, are scattered back
Life’s hardships, grief and sadness during the year is being personified as a monster. Just as a monster is scary, frightening beast, it emphasises how hardships and grief is being counteracted by the happiness of the trio.
The word choice “go blank” has connotations of disappearing and not being seen which emphasises how life’s grief and sadness ceases to hurt people due to the joyfulness and goodwill of the trio.
The word choice of “scattered” has connotations of retreating and being forced back which emphasises how life’s hardships are having to be forced to retreat due to the goodwill of the trio.
Line 19: “can’t bear this march of three.”
The phrase “can’t bear” has connotations of not being able to withstand something which emphasises how the grief and sadness of people’s lives cannot resist the happiness and enjoyment of the trio.
The phrase “march of three” has connotations of a military unit walking side by side as a a joint force against an enemy, this emphasises how their happiness is invincible against evil forces.
Line 23: laughter ringing round them like a guard
Just as a guard protects from danger, so too this suggests that the trio’s joyfulness and selflessness wards off all evil and damaging events of the world.
With close textual reference, show how the ideas and/or language of this poem are similar or different to another poem or poems by Edwin Morgan. (8)
The central theme of trio is that happiness comes from generosity and selflessness and can dispel evil.
However, it is in shocking contrast to the themes of social deprivation for a lot of Glasgow, rampant poverty and violence.
The themes of Trio are emphasised in this quote:
“The vale of tears is powerless before you.”
Just as a vale of tears is an abundance of sadness and grief, and is also a biblical allusion which refers to life’s hardships. This emphasises how life’s hardships and evils are negated because of the goodwill and happiness of the trio.
The themes of Glasgow Sonnet are clearly emphasised in these quotes:
“Four storeys have no windows left to smash.”
This quote describes how many people have robbed and smashed these tenement buildings, making them impossible to live in. This emphasises the unstableness of this area, and how unsafe it is.
“The man lies late since he has lost his job,”
The word choice / alliteration in ‘lies late’ has connotations of not having a purpose, aimlessness, declining health. This suggests that the man has no present aim to move forward in life, because he’s unemployed and is very poor.
