Les Murrays Morse is a poem about Bill Tuckett and his heroic surgery, however through the effective use of sound techniques several levels of meaning are created; of the Morse code and how poetry is dying out.

Another of the sound features is rhyme which conveys the heroism of Bill Tuckett through isolation, urgency and entertainment. Les Murray uses some assonance in “slit but slit” and “razor blade” portraying dark images of horror and evoking a negative atmosphere. However the words that rhyme end in plosives like “lack” “luck”, and “pluck” which creates an echo. The echoing of sounds is very entertaining to the reader which evokes a positive atmosphere. The contrast between the positive atmosphere and the negative atmosphere reduces the intensity of the horror which conveys Bill as being less horrible through is horrifying actions of the surgery but instead very heroic for what he has done. In all lines of “Morse” they end in a plosive except for the line which ends in “gone”. Les Murray uses this to emphasize the line “Morse keys have mostly gone” which is suggesting that Morse or even poetry is being used less and less. Les Murray is emphasizing the point to convey the importance of the theme and show that since it is running out and he is using Morse effectively, Bill Tuckett is heroic. Rhyme in “Morse” conveys the heroism of Bill Tuckett through the pleasure of rhyme and his Les Murrays’s use of Morse.

Heroism is conveyed by Bill Tuckett through rhythm. “Morse” is made up of short syllables and long syllables. Les Murray creates the effect of short corresponding to the ‘dit’ of Morse code as well as the long syllables corresponding to the ‘dah’ of Morse code which is entertaining to the reader because there are several levels of meaning. Because it is entertaining this reiterates the positive atmosphere therefore emphasizing the Positivity of the heroism of Bill Tuckett. A pause is used in Stanza one where there are lots of commas between “heat”, “glare” and “dust” to portray imagery of a difficult environment. Les Murray is emphasizing how it’s hard for Bill Tuckett to cope and conveys heroism. Throughout Stanza two there is a lack of pauses as there is no full stops therefore evoking an urgent atmosphere. This urgency reiterates Bill Tuckett sending Morse and conveys Bill Tuckett as being heroic. Rhythm in “Morse” conveys the heroism of “Bill Tuckett” through the syllables corresponding to Morse code and pauses conveying the difficult environment.

In “Morse”, Les Murray conveys the heroism of Bill Tuckett effectively through rhythm, rhyme and plosives which portray several levels of meaning. Themes of isolation, the loss of art; poetry and Morse are conveyed through the urgent and positive atmosphere. Les Murray conveys to the reader that the art of poetry is important and should be recognised and appreciated.