Edwin Morgan Hyena

Edwin Morgan Poems

Hyena

>Poem of address "I am waiting for you" the hyena begins (and carries on) by speaking to us directly it is in a threatening and challenging manner this remains throughout

> Repetition of "I am" "I am waiting... I have been travelling" "I am lying" confidence in himself arrogance he is the centre of his universe

> Repetition of "you" " I am waiting for you...What do you think of me?" hyena is addressing the reader makes the reader feel uncomfortable he wants us to know we are in his sights

> Repetition of "golden" "I put my muzzle at his [the lion's] golden flanks and tear. He is my golden supper" hyena previously says "my pelt is silver", describing lion as golden shows that the lion is above the hyena self-deprecating humour hyena eating a dead lion shows that in the end even the lion can't be defeated by the hyena

> Repetition of "I am waiting" "I am waiting...I am waiting for you" first line of first and last stanza emphasises the hyena's patience reminds us he is watching us makes the reader feel uncomfortable a momento mori- a reminder of death

> Hyena facts "it is said I am a good match for a dead lion" hyenas are scavengers who eat carrion (dead meat) rarely hunt their own prey very strong digestive systems cowardly hyena- eats dead meat, doesn't take down anything himself

> Hyena beliefs/superstition "I am not laughing" Hyenas were associated with greed, uncleanliness and cowardice their laughs were believed to imitate human voices to lure their victims hyena tells reader we do not understand him and his ways as he isn't laughing- he is showing off his teeth to scare us

> Dramatic monologue "My place is to pick you clean and leave your bones to the wind" 'monologue' -one person talking 'dramatic' - speaker not on his own, talking to himself someone else is supposed to be listening- a message for us

> Alliteration of 'f' sounds "I am very fierce without food" draws our attention to the threat

> Alliteration of 's' sounds "My eyes are screwed to slits against the sun" draws our attention shows us how dangerous he is

> African words "kraal" "veldt" words not known by majority of readers shows hyena's arrogance using words we don't understand makes him seem superior, wiser and more knowledgeable than us

> Use of 't' consonant sounds "I have a rough coat... I am crafty with dark spots... I eat the dead" draws out attention to his looks and character alarms us that he is so greedy and unsympathetic

> Use of 'd' consonant sounds "I eat the dead" makes us notice terrifying statement we feel uncomfortable and disgusted

> Use of 'a' vowel sounds "I have a rough coatlike Africa/ I am crafty with dark spots/Like the bush tufted plains of Africa/ I sprawl as a shaggy bundle of gathered energy" relaxed sound reflects hyena's state contrasts last line "bundle of gathered energy"

>Persona "My place is to pick you clean/ And leave your bones to the wind" author is speaking through another character using the hyena as a momento mori he is putting us in our place- he is in control death will catch us no matter what

> Sibilance "Although my eyes are screwed to slits against the sun you must believe I am prepared to spring" repetition of 's' sound draws our attention to hyena's alertness prepared to get us although he seems weakened by hunger, thirst and the sun in his eye 

> Metaphor " I sniff a broken drum" broken drum represents a human body suggests the kraal has been destroyed by humans when death comes to humans they are unable to move or make sounds heart doesn't beat anymore, like the drum- useless, broken, forgotten

> List "I am waiting For the foot to slide, For the heart to seize, For the leaping sinews to go slack, For the fight to the death to be fought to the death, For a glazing eye and a rumour of blood" hyena is waiting for us to die very disturbing list of ways to die makes us see there are many ways to die hyena knows signs of death and is preparing to pounce

> Momento mori " I am waiting for you" A reminder that death is coming threatening hyenas eat the dead so he is ready to pounce

> Euphemism " Do you like my song?" a polite way of saying something unpleasant describing laugh as a song makes it seem more pleasant

> Humour "It is said I am a good match for a dead lion" self-deprecating humour to put himself down a bit he knows he is a bit of a coward because he doesn't kill anything himself although he gets the lion in the end- he will win

>  Questions " What do you think of me?"  "Do you like my song?"  " Would you like to meet me there in the waste places?"  "Do you like me when it comes lolling out over my jaw very long and I am laughing?" rhetorical questions doesn't about our answer he has already influenced our answer- NO!"

> Short Statements "I trot, I lope, I slaver, I am a ranger. I hunch my shoulders. I eat the dead." blunt and threatening language used disgusts us shows us his arrogance

> Subverting usual poetry stereotypes "When the moon pours hard and cold on the veldt" in poems the moon is usually a symbol of romance "pouring hard" -not romantic painful, no happiness

> Connotations "I am a slave of darkness" bound to doing bad things controlled by darkness evil

> Connotations " My pelt is silver" second best to "golden" lion precious valuable important 

> Connotations  " I have a crowd of fangs" sharp violent vampires, wolves the ability to hurt

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