One Cigarette

Authors Avatar

One Cigarette

In his poem, One Cigarette, Edwin Morgan explores the nature of love using an extended metaphor. In this essay I will look at how effective Edwin Morgan’s use of language and imagery are. I will capture the relationship in the poem and also the thoughts and feelings of the voice in the poem. Edwin Morgan has written this poem as a free verse. Meaning there is no rhythm to the poem and it does not rhyme. It seems as Is Morgan has just randomly placed words and thoughts next to one another to create this poem. He has given it no sense of direction just like love has no sense of direction. You never know who you will fall in love with or what may happen when you are in love. Firstly I will look at the extended metaphor of the title, One Cigarette. Secondly I will look at his use of language and imagery.

In Edwin Morgan’s use of ‘One Cigarette,’ for the title, he sets the relationship. The title gives me the sense that the relationship is one sided. Morgan puts two singular words together and uses them for the title which implies that the voice is alone, which then leads me to believe that there are problems in this relationship between the voice and the second person. These problems may be due to unrequited love or death, we do not know. I assume that it is due to unrequited love. In my eyes the cigarette represents the relationship and how it all started good, with lots of pleasure and satisfaction, but now has just turned in to a dirty, bad habit. This then leads me to believe that the second person is a prostitute who sees the relationship with the voice as nothing but her job. There are definitely problems with the basis of this relationship, something seems not quite right about it.

Join now!

Morgan uses complex language that helps us capture how this relationship between the voice and the second person works.

“No smoke without you me fire”

In Morgan’s use of this he quantifies the relationship between the voice and second person(fire).  This pun on a cliché tells me that this relationship is one sided. The second person obviously does not feel the same. This clarifies that the voice feels he cannot live without his love and that he is distraught without her. The second person can see no love relationship between themselves and the voice.

“Your cigarette glowed ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Here's what a teacher thought of this essay

Avatar

4 STARS **** This is a well written essay with some thoughtful and perceptive insights. Analysis of language is accurately identified using linguistic and literary terminology. The writer has a very personal response to the poem which is carefully explained. Some small errors suggest proof reading should have been more thorough.