Sea Grapes Flashcards
(15 cards)
Q1: What mythological figure is central to Sea Grapes?
A: Odysseus from Homer’s Odyssey.
Q2: What are the main themes of the poem?
A: Longing, exile, desire vs responsibility, emotional exhaustion, and the limitations of classical consolation.
Q3: How does Walcott merge classical and contemporary elements?
A: He places the ancient figure of Odysseus within a modern Caribbean setting, showing that the emotional struggles of myth still exist today.
Q4: What is the “ancient war” referred to in the poem?
A: The internal conflict between obsession (desire) and responsibility (duty).
Q5: What does the “sail which leans on light, tired of islands” symbolize?
A: Emotional and physical exhaustion from wandering; a longing for rest or home.
Q6: What do the “gnarled sour grapes” represent?
A: Bitterness, regret, and unfulfilled or morally complex desires
Q7: What does “the adulterer hearing Nausicaa’s name in every gull’s outcry” imply?
A: Guilt and temptation—Odysseus’s longing is haunted by past temptations and emotional distractions.
Q8: What is the significance of the phrase “wriggling on his sandals to walk home”?
A: A symbol of awkward, humble return to duty—showing that even small, ordinary actions are part of the same emotional battle.
Q9: Complete the quote: “This brings nobody ______.”Q10: What does this quote suggest?
A: peace A: That neither passion nor duty alone can fully satisfy or resolve inner conflict.
Q11: What is meant by “The classics can console. But not enough”?
A: Ancient literature can help us understand ourselves, but it can’t fully heal emotional wounds or stop the personal struggle.
Q12: What is the meaning behind “the blind giant’s boulder”?
A: A reference to Polyphemus (the Cyclops), symbolizing obstacles and trauma on life’s journey, both mythic and personal.
Q13: What poetic devices are used in the poem?
A: Allusion (to Homer), imagery, metaphor, juxtaposition, and enjambment.
Q14: What is the tone of the poem?
A: Reflective, melancholic, and quietly intense—moving between admiration, regret, and unresolved longing.
Q15: How does the Caribbean setting deepen the poem’s message?
A: It links the personal restlessness of the speaker with the historical and cultural exile of Caribbean people, making the myth of Odysseus locally relevant.
Q16: Why is the sea such a powerful image in this poem?
A: It symbolizes exile, uncertainty, and the emotional currents between freedom and home, desire and duty.
