The Demon Goes to Kill Death
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The Demon Goes to Kill Death by Edwin Morgan
Choose a poem in which the poet explores an important theme. By referring to different features of the poem, show how the poet succeeds in conveying his ideas to the reader.
Throughout the poem “The Demon Goes to Kill Death”, Edwin Morgan explores the theme of Death and also the idea of the finality of Death. Several different features are used by the poet to succeed in conveying his moral ideas to the reader effectively. However it is the idea that the Demon has no respect for anything other than the one thing that can destroy him – Death – that fuels the poem and allows the reader to fully understand the poet’s ideas. It is this idea that helps to develop the character of the Demon.
Morgan’s central character and narrator in the poem, the Demon, is shown to have a dark and complex personality. His lack of respect is central to the main idea conveyed by Morgan, as the demon can be seen to have no respect for anything, even the dead. The alliteration of “gravel, grubs” in the first stanza creates a harsh, gritty sound, giving the idea of an obviously unpleasant atmosphere within the grave. It is as if the poet is mimicking the digging of the grave through the Demon’s thoughtless words. Morgan’s listing sentence structure, “wood pulp, gravel, grubs, teeth”, creates the idea that the Demon is not concerned by the items sifting through his fingers, as if it were a daily occurrence. Clearly the grave is inhabited as the Demon finds “teeth”, which shows that he does not care what stands in his way, enforcing the idea that the Demon has no remorse, even for those already in the clutches of Death.
However, Morgan also allows the reader to understand a more human quality that the Demon possesses. The character’s arrogance, which can be seen by the repetition of “I can” in the last stanza, is central to his slight vulnerability, as it is as if the Demon is emphasizing the point that no human - “only a Demon” -...
Choose a poem in which the poet explores an important theme. By referring to different features of the poem, show how the poet succeeds in conveying his ideas to the reader.
Throughout the poem “The Demon Goes to Kill Death”, Edwin Morgan explores the theme of Death and also the idea of the finality of Death. Several different features are used by the poet to succeed in conveying his moral ideas to the reader effectively. However it is the idea that the Demon has no respect for anything other than the one thing that can destroy him – Death – that fuels the poem and allows the reader to fully understand the poet’s ideas. It is this idea that helps to develop the character of the Demon.
Morgan’s central character and narrator in the poem, the Demon, is shown to have a dark and complex personality. His lack of respect is central to the main idea conveyed by Morgan, as the demon can be seen to have no respect for anything, even the dead. The alliteration of “gravel, grubs” in the first stanza creates a harsh, gritty sound, giving the idea of an obviously unpleasant atmosphere within the grave. It is as if the poet is mimicking the digging of the grave through the Demon’s thoughtless words. Morgan’s listing sentence structure, “wood pulp, gravel, grubs, teeth”, creates the idea that the Demon is not concerned by the items sifting through his fingers, as if it were a daily occurrence. Clearly the grave is inhabited as the Demon finds “teeth”, which shows that he does not care what stands in his way, enforcing the idea that the Demon has no remorse, even for those already in the clutches of Death.
However, Morgan also allows the reader to understand a more human quality that the Demon possesses. The character’s arrogance, which can be seen by the repetition of “I can” in the last stanza, is central to his slight vulnerability, as it is as if the Demon is emphasizing the point that no human - “only a Demon” -...