Trio Essay

Question

Choose a poem where the poet made you think about a particular theme. Show how the poet develops this theme over the course of the poem

Structure

1. Introduction
2. Title / setting
3. Religious iconography / ‘Christmas lights’, presents
4. Allusion to the bible - the three wise men
5. Imagery – ‘cloud of happiness’
6. Description – the gifts
7. Declamatory tone – ‘Orphean sprig! Melting baby! Warm chihuahua!’ – like a Greek poet
8. Military language – ‘scattered’, ‘defeat’, ‘abdicated’
9. Conclusion

‘Trio’ by Edwin Morgan explores the theme of everyday life. He gives a vivid description of the three party-goers and uses symbolism to suggest that ordinary lives can be full of beauty and meaning. In this essay I will show how the poet brings the Trio to life through a combination of setting, description, and allusions to history and the bible.

The title and setting of the poem are significant in themselves. In keeping with the theme of everyday life, a ‘trio’ can simply be three people, or objects. However, it also suggests people singing or playing together to create harmony. In this way, the three seem at one with each other and happy in the world. The poem opens on Buchanan Street. Morgan is a poet based in Glasgow, and his local readers would know that this is a common shopping street which is busy at Christmas time. He therefore uses an everyday title and street to introduce the three. The poet’s use of present tense emphasises that this is a snapshot of daily life.

At the start of the poem, they are depicted using simple descriptions of what they look like and their appearance. Yet the scene also carries a sense of religious iconography:

… under the Christmas lights -
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.

This is a very simple description. The fact they are ‘under’ the lights suggests they are being protected or watched over. They are also carrying presents, which belong under the lights of a Christmas tree. The young man has a guitar, which adds to the idea of a musical Trio, while the dog adds an exotic element to the scene.

However, on a deeper level, this might be an allusion to the three wise men carrying presents for the baby Jesus. The ‘very young baby’ supports this idea. The ‘Christmas lights’ can also be seen as the star they followed. So, for the poet, these three people have a sacred significance about them.

The poet continues to use sublime imagery as he describes the trio, enjoying their joyful moment:

And the three of them are laughing,
Their breath rises on a cloud of happiness

A cloud is something in which there are no individuals. In this moment, their breath has metaphorically become one thing. It has turned into a ‘cloud of happiness’. This alludes to a slightly quaint idea of heaven, as being composed of clouds, and continues to add a religious dimension to the ordinary scene. The cloud also emphasises warmth, as if their unity is in contrast to the cold weather.

As the poet describes the gifts, each of the details has a subtle importance, even though they are mainly commonplace things. The Chihuahua is unusual in this context as it belongs to a foreign country. However, the details of its coat are significant: ‘Royal Stewart tartan coat like a teapot-holder’. This is another subtle allusion, to the Stewarts, who were kings of Scotland. In contrast, a teapot suggests something cute and pleasant; while suggesting the physical qualities of furriness and warmth. As with other parts of the poem, the author combines important, sublime things with the small, wholesome and ordinary.

In the middle of the poem, Morgan uses a declamatory tone to highlight the significance of the details -

Orphean sprig! Melting baby! Warm chihuahua!

He alludes to Orpheus, the poet who rescued his lover from Hell in Greek legend. This is ironic because in this context he is describing ordinary things. The sentence structure and exclamation marks suggest he is a ‘bard’ from ancient times, talking about a great war, or an Emperor.

From alluding to the bible and Greek legend, the poet goes on to use military imagery to describe how the Trio defeat the ‘Monsters of the year’ –

Go blank, are scattered back
Can’t bear this march of three

The bad feelings and misfortune of the year are powerless, and are ‘scattered’ like a defeated army. At the end of the poem, they leave the scene with laughter ‘ringing round them like a guard’, while fate ‘abdicates’, like a King in olden days.

If there is a meaning at the heart of this poem, it is that living our life is sacred. You can believe in the birth of Christ at Christmas or not, but you should celebrate the happy time of year no matter what your faith. The poet uses the ordinary scene with its exquisite details to suggest that we can truly be happy if only we live in the moment.