Sing a Song of Loch Ness

Not everyone will hear “well-known experimental poet” and think “fun kid’s activity!”–or if they do, it’ll be to think, “that’s not poetry: my kid could do this.” But the new Edwin Morgan Archive might change that. After all, what GeekKid wouldn’t love “The Loch Ness Monster’s Song“?: Sssnnnwhuffffll? Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl? Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl […]

Not everyone will hear "well-known experimental poet" and think "fun kid's activity!"–or if they do, it'll be to think, "that's not poetry: my kid could do this." But the new Edwin Morgan Archive might change that. After all, what GeekKid wouldn't love "The Loch Ness Monster's Song"?:

Sssnnnwhuffffll?
Hnwhuffl hhnnwfl hnfl hfl?
Gdroblboblhobngbl gbl gl g g g g glbgl.
Drublhaflablhaflubhafgabhaflhafl fl fl –
gm grawwwww grf grawf awfgm graw gm.
Hovoplodok – doplodovok – plovodokot-doplodokosh?

Or, perhaps you'd like to hear from "The First Men on Mercury":

– We come in peace from the third planet.
Would you take us to your leader?

– Bawr stretter! Bawr. Bawr. Stretterhawl?

(These poems are even more awesome when recited in a thick Scottish accent: "Loch Ness Monster's Song" & "First Men on Mercury." If you have RealPlayer, you can listen to Morgan recite the former here.)

Morgan has a long-standing fascination with science and science fiction:

I do not share what is sometimes called the current disillusion with science and technology. I count myself lucky to have lived at a time of discoveries of such far-reaching potential as space travel must be. The poet, I think, is entitled to set up his camp on other worlds than this, and to bring back what he can in the way of human relevance."

One of my long-standing interests has been science-fiction. I enjoy writing science-fiction poems, and try to give them some 'point', so that they are not merely fantastic.

The Edwin Morgan Archive has a variety of suggested activities that build from these and other Morgan poems. These range from imagining translations for the Mercurian language to thinking of the sounds a pebble makes, and compiling them into a poem. Your kid, too, can experiment with concrete and sound poetry!

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