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The starting point for, and the final line of, the poem is taken from the New Testament, John 11:25.

"This poem was written when my father was very ill, dying of cancer, and I was coming home from the hospital. Suddenly this line 'I am the resurrection and the life' came into my head and then the poem began to emerge from the line. I think about half of it was in my head going home on the bus and I had to come in and write down as much of it as I could right away before it disappeared."

Edwin Morgan, Nothing Not Giving Messages (Polygon 1990), p.60

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Emergent poems: 'Message Clear' annotated by Edwin Morgan

1960s

The starting point for, and the final line of, the poem is taken from the New Testament, John 11:25.

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