1. Slate
Edwin Morgan

2. Background to the poem
Appears to be about geology, but is in fact political
From collection ‘Sonnets from Scotland’ (1984)
Written after Scottish Referendum of 1979 (country voted to remain in UK, as in 2015)
Written as a response of disappointment
Morgan:
considers enormous changes to Scotland brought about by geology
imagines changes yet to come.

3. Form of the poem = Sonnet
a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having five stresses per line.
2018/7/19

4. Opening lines Introduce the idea of change
Depicts land we know as Scotland in its prehistoric years:
millions of years before arrival of humans
describes landscape was developed shaped
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5. Middle of Poem Examines details of the landscape:
Hills / mountains / the Great Glen
Rugged nature of the Scottish landscape:
tough conditions that moulded the features of the land.
Unforgiving weather
Suggests hardy land has been subjected to the elements
2018/7/19

6. Key ideas in poem:
Beautiful landscape is product of slow, dramatic change
Scotland (the place and the idea) is tough and long lasting
Scotland is important
Change is difficult and slow
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7. Final four lines Shifts focus in final four lines
known as the ‘volta’ (specific to sonnets)
Arrival of humans is mentioned
speaker summarises his observations:
Scotland = defiant / beautiful / stoic (shows no emotion)
Continues idea of change / frustration
Conclusion = hopeful
encourages us to take stock, reassess and push on with progress.

8. First four lines Lines 1-4
Double meaning:
Landscape so ancient it predates records
Scotland unable to begin new period with its own parliament (1979 – not today!)
All seeing narrator – supernatural?
Violent beginnings – country is used to dramatic change
Plunder = personification + pessimism
There is no beginning. We saw Lewis laid down, when there was not much but thunder and volcanic fires; watched long seas plunder faults; laughed as Staffa cooled. Drumlins blue as

9. Middle six lines Lines 5-10
Drumlins = rounded humps left by glaciers
Lines 5-10
Simile = violent formation of landscape. ‘Bruises’ = further personification. Landscape is living
Extended metaphor – Scotland still described as a living being
5 x alliteration – connects ideas about what will affect the land and its people
‘Stroke’ = treat gently
List emphasises power of what is battering the country
But – country is tough
‘Shouldered’ - personification
(Drumlins blue as) bruises were grated off like nutmegs; bens, and a great glen, gave a rough back we like to think the ages must streak, surely strike, seldom stroke, but raised and shaken, with tens of thousands of rains, blizzards, sea-poundings shouldered off into night and memory.

10. Last four lines
Lines 11-14
Mankind dealt with quickly
Landscape has been around longer, so gets more treatment in poem
Personification
Rainbow sorry because it is brief – landscape endures for ever
List of undramatic substances grounds the grand ideas of the poem
Memory of men! That was to come. Great in their empty hunger these surroundings threw walls to the sky, the sorry glory of a rainbow. Their heels kicked flint, chalk, slate.