'Strawberries' (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note
Exam code: X824 75
Below is a guide to Edwin Morgan’s poem ‘Strawberries’ in preparation for the SQA National 5 English exam. It includes:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of Morgan’s techniques and methods
Understanding the poem: an exploration of the themes and ideas within Morgan’s poem
Linking the poems: an understanding of how ‘Strawberries’ connects to Morgan’s other prescribed poems for the Scottish text section
Overview
In order to answer questions on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
An overview of the poem
A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Edwin Morgan’s intention and message
‘Strawberries’ overview
‘Strawberries’, written by Edwin Morgan, is a love poem about a particular memory. The speaker and his lover are pictured on a summer afternoon eating strawberries, with the poem drenched in sensual imagery and description to capture the lovers’ passion.
Whilst Morgan himself said in interviews that the subject of the poem was his long-term partner, John Scott, the poem should be considered in its wider thematic context, as well as being an exploration of personal feelings and thoughts.
‘Strawberries’ translation
Lines 1-3
“There were never strawberries
like the ones we had
that sultry afternoon”
Translation
Morgan sets the scene of a couple eating strawberries together on a hot summer’s day
Morgan’s intention
The poem’s opening words, “There were never”, underlines the intensity of this singular event
The use of the pronoun “we” clearly establishes this as a shared, mutual event
The word choice “sultry” offers two interpretations:
As pathetic fallacy (opens in a new tab), the word suggests intense physical or sexual attraction
Literally, the word helps to establish the hot, humid setting
Lines 4-7
“sitting on the step
of the open french window
facing each other
your knees held in mine”
Translation
The speaker continues his description of the event, with the moment becoming increasingly intimate
Morgan’s intention
The verb “sitting” might suggest the sedentary nature of the couple, but here it is used to depict ease and calm, with “open” implying a relationship based on honesty
The use of “french windows” lends a romantic, cinematic quality to the setting
Lines 6-7 develop the emotional intimacy (“facing each other”) and physical intimacy (“your knees held in mine”) of the couple
Lines 8-14
“the blue plates in our laps
the strawberries glistening
in the hot sunlight
we dipped them in sugar
looking at each other
not hurrying the feast
for one to come”
Translation
The eponymous “strawberries” are introduced for the first time, with the eating of these presented as deeply romantic
Morgan’s Intention
In this section, Morgan repeatedly appeals to the senses:
The descriptions of “blue plates” and “strawberries glistening” appeals to sight
Then, “hot sunlight” and “dipped” appeals to touch, while “sugar” appeals to taste
Together, these words create a scene that is memorably intimate and romantic
This intimacy develops further in the lingering eye contact (“looking at each other”)
The speaker uses hyperbole (opens in a new tab) (“feast”) to elevate the importance of the occasion
There is finally a sexual undertone in line 14, with “for one to come” suggests an imminent metaphorical (opens in a new tab) “feast” of love-making
Lines 15-17
“the empty plates
laid on the stone together
with the two forks crossed”
Translation
The strawberries now eaten, the speaker simply describes the “empty plates”
Morgan’s intention
Despite the plates being “empty”, the experience has not ended
A sense of unity is again conveyed through the use of “together”, while the “two forks crossed” further implies a physical closeness
Lines 18-25
“and I bent towards you
sweet in that air
in my arms
abandoned like a child
from your eager mouth
the taste of strawberries
in my memory
lean back again”
Translation
As the poem moves towards a conclusion, the speaker and his lover grow physically intimate
Morgan’s intention
The images of the speaker “bent towards” suggests both an emotional and physical connection and also longing
References to “sweet” and “abandoned like a child” give a sense of innocence and first love, as if the pair are discovering these profound emotions for the first time:
However, the word “eager” has more passionate, irrepressible connotations (opens in a new tab)
It is the “taste of strawberries” that provokes nostalgia (“in my memory”), with the sensual imagery (opens in a new tab) used as a way to enable the speaker’s reflection
His body language moves into a “lean”, as if he is physically relaxing into the intimacy, or allowing himself to be absorbed by the feelings of nostalgia
Lines 26-32
“let me love you
let the sun beat
on our forgetfulness
one hour of all
the heat intense
and summer lightning
on the Kilpatrick hills”
Translation
The poem reaches its passionate height, literally and in terms of the reflection
Morgan’s intention
The tone becomes pleadingly romantic:
The phrase “let me love you”, starting with the imperative “let”, is a passion-charged demand
A further imperative is used in line 27, imploring the metaphorical light of the “sun” to keep the memory alive, warding off “our forgetfulness”
The importance of this singular moment is emphasised by highlighting the ironically (opens in a new tab) short timeframe (“one hour”)
Symbolism (opens in a new tab) of a dramatic weather event in “heat intense” and “summer lightning” then emphasises a furious passion
The verse ends by referencing a set of hills in Scotland, anchoring the poem in reality
Line 33
“let the storm wash the plates”
Translation
The poem ends on a note of finality, with the weather event concluding the romantic moment
Morgan’s intention
The speaker uses the imperative “let” for a third time, highlighting again how highly this memory is valued:
The command is aimed at the speaker himself, not just the “storm”
Again, the words here carry a double meaning:
The lovers must literally leave their plates in the “storm”, such is the extent of their passion
But the idea of “wash” is also used to suggest an inevitable, symbolic removal of memory
The writer suggests that although the memory can remain, relationships cannot always be sustained
Writer’s methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections — form, structure and language — it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have.
Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme and includes Edwin Morgan’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:
Form
Structure
Language
Form
Edwin Morgan’s poem, ‘Strawberries’, is a stream of thought or consciousness, unbroken by any punctuation.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Love | As a stream of consciousness, the ideas in ‘Strawberries’ are presented as an unbroken succession of thoughts, suggesting an effortless love, within no boundaries or constraints. | The poet thus offers a positive, romanticised version of love, with the couple presented as free and open to express their feelings.
|
Structure
The use of enjambment (opens in a new tab), along with the repetition (opens in a new tab) of short lines and important words, gives a sense of both reality and immediacy to the poem. A three-stanza (opens in a new tab) structure is also used to support the overall meaning of the poem.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Love and desire | ‘Strawberries’ is split into three distinct sections:
| The structure helps tell the symbolic story of a relationship, from a long, lingering beginning to a crushing climax. The action builds to the metaphorical intensity of the summer “storm”. |
The use of enjambment and repetition further helps to develop themes of love and desire:
| The structure offers a simplicity and beauty to the poem. Just as the structure is written in a simple, flowing way, so too can love be effortless and instinctive. |
Language
Edwin Morgan uses the straightforward event of a couple eating strawberries to explore important ideas above love, with word choice and sensual language employed to demonstrate passion and devotion.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Using a straightforward event to explore important ideas | Word choice is used throughout the poem to add profound meaning to a seemingly straightforward event:
| Like the short lines contained in the stream of consciousness, it is the cumulative impact of the words that combine to make the poem represent such an important memory about love. None of the adjectives or nouns used are individually complex, but together they add layers of meaning to convey the sense of freedom and openness that love offers. |
Sensual language is employed to bring the poem to life:
| The events of the poem are unremarkable, but they are elevated and hyperbolised via the use of sensual language. These vivid appeals to the senses emphasise the passion that fizzes between the couple. |
Understanding the poem
For the SQA National 5 English exam, it’s important to show a clear and thoughtful understanding of the poem’s themes and main ideas, as well as how the poet’s techniques and intentions help to convey meaning. This section focuses on two main themes that Morgan examines in ‘Strawberries’:
Love
Memory
Love
At its heart, ‘Strawberries’ is a love poem that celebrates the joy that comes from romantic relationships
The relationship is presented as something exotic and exciting, despite being set in Scotland in sight of the Kilpatrick hills
Love is presented as something innate and mutual, and adds brilliance to events that may be thought to be typical or ordinary
Essentially, love elevates everything to its superlative: the weather is “sultry”, the fruits are “glistening”, and the meal is a “feast”
The conclusion is less hopeful: even the most wondrous moments can be forgotten, while even the most passionate relationships can come to an end
Memory
The preciousness of this memory is immediately underlined, with the speaker declaring the uniqueness of these particular “strawberries”
The reader can assume that this event happened many years earlier, but the event remains singular and fixed in the imagination of the speaker
Memory can always be doubted, but the reader must judge the accuracy of this particular event at face value
Nonetheless, the memory, as recalled in the first verse, offers no negativity or flaws: love is presented as perfect
Memory is, of course, unfaithful, as highlighted in line 27: as desperate as we might be to keep memories alive, age and time means they will inevitably fade
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember, a “reference” does not have to be a direct quote. If you cannot remember a specific line from a text, you can still gain marks by providing a detailed summary of:
a specific narrative event or key incident
a character’s mental state or feelings at a certain point
a summary of what a character says at a specific point
specific aspects of setting or conflict
Linking the poems
Students often use Edwin Morgan’s poetry to answer the Scottish texts section of the SQA National 5 Critical Reading exam. If you choose, though, you can write your critical essay question on Morgan’s poetry instead.
If you decide to write about Morgan for the Scottish text section, the final question asks you to demonstrate a wider understanding of his poetry. That means linking more than one poem together by focusing on his ideas and how he communicates them (his techniques).
The six Edwin Morgan poems on the SQA syllabus are:
‘In the Snack-bar’
‘Trio’
‘Strawberries’
‘Love’
‘Glasgow Sonnet i’
‘Death in Duke Street’
Here are some parallels between the six poems, organised by shared themes:
Theme: Love | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
‘In the Snack-bar’ | ‘Trio’ | ‘Strawberries’ | ‘Love’ | ‘Glasgow Sonnet i’ | ‘Death in Duke Street’ |
Instinctive love and empathy of a fellow human being, as exemplified by the speaker | Love demonstrated through the warmth of the trio and the gifts they carry | Intense, romantic love explored through the relationship of the couple | Intensity of love explored through the powerful ideas and images presented by the narrator | Despite using the sonnet form, the poem explores a complete lack of love in the setting of a Glasgow tenement | Love and compassion shown by those who come to the aid of the collapsed man |
Theme: Using a straightforward event to explore important ideas | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
‘In the Snack-bar’ | ‘Trio’ | ‘Strawberries’ | ‘Love’ | ‘Glasgow Sonnet i’ | ‘Death in Duke Street’ |
The typical setting of a city snack-bar is used to explore important ideas about human decency | The poem’s setting is a typical Glasgow street, featuring seemingly normal people | A couple sharing food is a straightforward event that is used to explore important ideas above love | The poem begins in a straightforward way, presenting typical ideas about love, before widening with complexity | The speaker uses the description of a Glasgow neighbourhood to raise wider ideas about social decay | The events of the poem occur randomly, with the general public having to step in to help a man who has collapsed |
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