Walcott Poems Flashcards
(20 cards)
Adam’s song
Speaker (most likely Adam) reflects in biblical story
Talks about Adam’s sorrow and love for eve
Sings a lament expressing his love and regret which touches God
A fzr cry from africa
Responds to the mau mau uprisings in Kenya
Guerilla war fought by native Kenyans against British rule
–> slaughter because of racial prejudice on both sides
Presents the internal struggle of loyalty to the speaker’s African roots and English heritage
After the storm
Sabine from The Schooner Flight contemplates his existence and identity after a storm
Elsewhere
Speaker reflects on distant atrocities through a series of vivid images of suffering and oppression, emphasizing the idea that this is happening “somewhere”
Universality and pervasiveness of human suffering
Challenges us to acknowledge and empathise with pain that does not directly affect us
Homecoming Anse la Raye
Native man returns to his homeland after becoming rich and famous but is mistaken for a tourist
–> torn between insider and outsider
Landfall Grenada
Elegy to his friend Robert head
Mortality
Friendship
Quiet dignity of facing death
Mass man
Speaker is observing the Trinidad carnival a vibrant celebration of Caribbean history but recognises the slavery and colonisation behind it
Nearing forty
Moment of reflection at the threshold of middle age
Odd-job a bull terrier
Speaker mourns the unexpected loss of his dog
Unpredictability of loss
Depth and attachment between man and animal
Silence and emptiness of death
Parades, parades
Critique of post independence landscape
Cyclical nature of political power
Disillusion of the pop
Persistence of colonial legacies
Ruins of a great house
Speaker explores the remnants of a once grand colonial estate, using it’s physical decay as a metaphor for the decline of the British empire
Confronts brutal history
Refs British literacy figures
Anger gives way to nuanced understanding, recognising shared human experiences and the complexities of historical legacy
Sea Canes
Reflecting on the sorrow of losing friends
Dialogue with the earth
Finds strength in the nature
Sea grapes
Juxtaposes the mythological journey of Odysseus with the experience of a Caribbean individual on a schooner
Conflict between personal desire and moral responsibility
Classical narratives offer some solace but fall short in addressing the complexities of modern identity
The Almond trees
Description of the Caribbean at dawn
–> tranquil, serene atmosphere
Only visible elements are the almond trees, a fisherman and his dog
Day progress –> beach more people
Merging of cultures
The Bright field
Convergence of his Caribbean heritage with experiences in metropolitan cities (like London)
Unification of apparent opposites
The Castaway
Solitary figure stranded on a beach reflecting about the human condition in the vastness of nature
Futility of language and art in capturing the essence of life and inevitability of death
The Flock
Imagery of migrating birds to delve into themes of chance, survival and the cyclical nature of life
Migration as a metaphor for the human experience of change and adaptation
Inevitability of the seasons and our place within them
The Season of Phantasmal Peace
Vision of unity through the image of birds collectively lifting a huge net
Return to the trees
Contemplates process of aging and inevitable return to nature in death
Strength and longevity (oak) or felled almond
Reflects on his own aging
Verandah
Speaker observing the past
Layers of memories and history
Contemplating colonialism and familial ties through the convo with his grandfather
