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Edwin Morgan wrote a poem in 1998 after a woodcarving portrait that was done of him. In his poem he shows humour, allusion and is written in an epigrammatic style.

THE WOOD
A plaque, a slab, a pillar, a stele, a tablet

a portrait not to be blown away

or tucked under your arm: is that not good?

It is wood, green, pale, hewn from the greenwood,

wood is good, limewood, wood from linden lea,

under the greenwood tree. Carvable and carved,

curved, curbed, caught, close in grain, the head

emerging from trunk and bark, half out

to smell the quick bright air, half in to drink

the roots and grits and grounds, a green man still.

Wood is alive, wood changes, breathes, gives.

Watch that head, watch its expression!

And don’t forget it’s watching you!

That’s what poets do.

Morgan on the wall, watching over you.

The poem is full of allusion. Its epigrammatic style not only centres upon the woodcarving made of him but of the woodcarver R.D. Innes. Innes had met the poet in a Glasgow bookshop and had told him about his woodcarving skills. He asked the poet whether he would like a carving done of him and Professor Morgan replied ‘That was a good idea’. Shortly afterwards Innes was commissioned by the University of Glasgow. The 1st line of the poem centres on what Morgan had told Innes in a humorous tone, that he did not want the woodcarving to be small.

The 4th line is an allusion to the physical appearance of Innes and to the woodcarver’s youth. Also to Innes carving it ‘Hewn by the Greenwood’

The 6th line of the poem is reference to Thomas Hardy. He would often visit Professor Morgan who would provide tea and sometimes breakfast. Innes expressed his likeness for the work of Hardy to the Professor. Also to the fact the woodcarving was carved in the South-West of England using Limewood from Gloucestershire.

Edwin Morgan uses Enjambment in the second half of the poem and allusion to himself that this woodcarving makes him defeat death ‘A Green man still’ (Line 10) and ‘Watch that head, watch it’s expression!’ (Line 12)