The Edwin Morgan Twenties: Take Heart

Introduced by Ali Smith, the title of this group of poems about people is taken from Morgan¿s poem `Pelagius¿, the theologian who is a kind of alter ego. Morgan has the ability to enter into so many lives: the blind hunchback of `In the Snack-bar¿, Jesus¿s judge in `Pilate at Fortingall¿, the Polish juggler and acrobat `Cinquevalli¿ (another alter ego), even Rameses II in `The Mummy¿. `Morgan, I said to myself, take note, / Take heart. In a time of confusion / You must make a stand.¿