It is often argued that the supreme heights of genius and incomprehensibility are so intertwined that many of the more esteemed writers of our time seem merrily capable of diverting between the two adeptly, usually in the same poem (often in the same line!). The best example of which here is a festive offering from Edwin Morgan, who with his cryptic “Computers First Christmas Card” creates a binary code that even the great Alan Turing would have given trying to decipher.
So what can be said about Morgan’s work? It gives off the impression of being at the least a binary example of a “Magic Eye” poster, and is quite possibly the longest tongue twister in the world this side of a Lewis Caroll Jabberwocky rhyme. Morgan runs off as many variations on his opening line of “jolly merry”. Indeed, the concretely structured poem takes on ladder puzzle similarities: that being, there is a transitory structure by which each line slowly changes until we see what should be the end result. Except it seems that the poet may have got a bit stuck as the closest the computer gets to “Merry Christmas” is “as Merry Chrysanthemum.” A blooming poem perhaps, but what does it all mean?
A crusade against modern technology perhaps. Instead of being stuck on how to get to Merry Christmas, it is perhaps more assertive that note that in ending like thus we get the exact message Morgan was wishing to portray - namely a melodramatic point about the usefulness or lack of in computers. Now to warn against such occurrences would seem ever so slightly hypocritical of Morgan, since he is noting of his grievances for computers whilst using a computer to perfect the technique! However, even if this was so, no one can fail to see that this poem is a startling commentary not only on the over reliance on modern technology and the effects of what may happen should our over reliance allow for errors on their behalf, but also a call against conformity and therefore following the same lines (on a less subtle level) a criticism of Communism. Communism as it existed in Russia and other places seen as the ultimate in conformity against the greater flow of individuality that is maintained in the West and, incidentally in the majority of Edwin Morgan's other poetry which irrepressibly experimental in imagery, subject, style and tone (see for example, The Vision of Cathkin Braes). It is indeed a complex poem which can be seen to have many subtexts.
But what of Tony Harrison? On first impression, side to side one gets a feeling of confidence that whilst Morgan's poem looks confusingly perplexing, Harrison’s looks more aesthetically poetic. “Book ends”, they call it, and from primary glances it seems much more like a straightforward English poem. Seems straightforward. In actual fact, although not as tongue twisting as Morgan's effort, Harrisons attempt is equally complex. There within is the sentimentality of two brothers minus their recently suddenly deceased mother. Alike in every manner, the books ends of the title, but for all their similarities the greatest is their own inability to speak up about their feelings after her death. A happy little story, no doubt. No, where the incomprehensibility of Tony Harrison comes out is in his structure. Well, not in his structure, but how it appears. This is a poem which tries to hide its long verse rhythm scheme. The rhythm as it exists is very regular once spoken aloud. Yet it is in the aesthetically looked upon nature of the poem that everything seems a bit mad.
And thats probably the best comparison that can be made of the two poems - aesthetically complicating. By taking one look at either (Harrison with his ‘hidden’ structure and Morgan with his binary code) the writing itself seems to make no sense, but visually transforms itself into some form of diagram. The eyes are deceived, quite cleverly so, by this strange chameleon effect: poems that try to be pictures! Though not so blatantly obvious with “Bookends”, it can be seen that by looking at the poem not only do the words somehow merge into one another but the poem in shape seems to take on the form of the titular bookends themselves! Another probable comparison with both poems is that they deal with the aspect of conformity.
And yet indeed, this is their greatest contrast. Whilst Harrison within his material despair seems to be the argument for conformity, the monotone dialect of Edwin Morgan seems to suggest the opposite. How is this possible? Well, Harrison’s work tells the tale of two (we can presume) brothers, like the proverbial book ends to each other. So maybe this is the anti-conformists tale? Not at all. Looking at it, this is a perfectly correct long verse poem disguised as something else. Every line falls into the standard 10 syllable form, and the poem never removes from a strict ABABCDCDEFEFGHGH rhyme scheme. What this tells us is that not only is this disguised poem not in favour of anti-conformism, it is in fact a conformist poem! Its message: no matter how different one tries to be we are all inescapably linked together, like book ends in fact.
So in complete contrast, how does the ultimate in conformist poems actually turn out to be a voice against it? Well, being a man of his time the one thing you could never say about Morgan’s poetry was that it was conventional. You see, on initial glimpses of the text it seems that in his verse Morgan is for conformity (as would be represented at the time by the threat of Communism). However, if we look at the words we see a computer trying to say Merry Christmas. Unfortunately the closest it gets to the phrase is “Merry Chrysanthemum”. Now the flowers Chrysanthemums are associated with a November bloom, so it is possible the computer got so close at the date. And yet therein lies the message of the poet! The trouble with computers is that they are very sophisticated idiots. They do exactly what you tell them to do at amazing speed, even if you order them to kill you, so if you do happen to change your mind it is very difficult to stop them obeying the original order. In his slight poking of fun at the computer who can not get the words “merry Christmas” out of its processor, Morgan is giving his warning of what happens if we place our trust in technology. And with technology being the ultimate base for power (especially during the Cold War with nuclear technology - another computer ran service!) it can be seen that Morgan’s poetry is strictly anti-conformist.
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