Original poem reprinted online here: "One Cigarette" by Edwin Morgan Originally read: May 6, 2013 More information about the Poet: Edwin Morgan Confession. I used to smoke cigarettes for years, and that probably biased me to this poem. So when I read the poem the first time, there's a lot of jargon that focuses on the addiction or "thoughts of an addict" where the "speaker is appropriating the cigarette to love. Speaker is setting it up for disbelief." However, rereading this poem, I'm not entirely sure about the "hidden symbolism" or "psychology" of the poem. Not that I don't think these things exist in this poem, but rather I was thinking of what can a speaker get away with in a love poem versus other types of poems. Direct image with a direct meaning. I think love poems can get away with this. The more understood the image and sentiment, the more the message comes across. It's not flashy or technically complex...
Formerly the RetailMFA, This is the Poetry Blog of Darrell Dela Cruz