Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi (Jun 2018)
When Daedalus Meets Orpheus: Edwin Morgan’s Science-Fiction Poetry
Abstract
As is illustrated in a number of contemporary British poems, it is safe to assume that the reflections of science and technology in contemporary poetry are abundant. Influenced by the Space Race that had been going on between the US and the USSR and fascinated with “the shiny technological outcome,” Scottish poet Edwin Morgan wrote science fiction poems which present optimistic scenarios for the future of humanity. Putting people in extraordinary, if not impossible, circumstances, Morgan envisions a future where, despite the horrifying results of the catastrophes that had occurred on Earth, humans are shown as the ideal species to adapt to change. Forced to abandon Earth, humanity is excited about discovering new frontiers. Humanity’s positive attitude towards mutability reflects Morgan’s views, which regard evolution as a natural step. Determined to carry forward no matter what their dire circumstancescompel them to, humanity shows a strong stamina. Space exploration, alien encounters, teleportation, dematerialisation and rematerialisation are central to most of Morgan’s science fiction poetry. Particularly, his science-fiction poems, namely “For the International Poetry Incarnation,” “The First Men on Mercury,” “In Sobieski’s Shield” and “Memories of Earth,” in which encounters with the third kind occur reflect Morgan’s tendency to break down the distinctions between the human and non-human world. Thus, in an age when travelling to space is no longer a dream but a reality, Morgan’s poetry, unlike many post-apocalyptic science-fiction works of the twenty-first century, welcomes change quite positively. Contrary to miscellaneous post-apocalyptic scenarios regarding the future, which look back on the past quite wistfully and melancholically, Morgan’s science-fiction poetry presents an optimistic attitude towards mutability that eagerly and curiously awaits whatever the future has in store for humanity. In this sense, this article will argue that Morgan’s science-fiction poetry has an unwavering faith in progress, which by challenging the anthropocentric worldview introduces an alternate way to see things at the same time, besides underlining the adaptability of humankind into any environment despite the negative experiences they have underwent.
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