Selected Poems

Synopsis

Drawing from every stage of his career, this volume collects selected poems from Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott's lifetime of work.

Walcott's Selected Poems brings together famous pieces from his early volumes, including "A Far Cry from Africa" and "A City's Death by Fire," with passages from the celebrated Omeros and selections from his later major works, which extend his contributions to reenergizing the contemporary long poem.

Here we find all of Walcott's essential themes, from grappling with the Caribbean's colonial legacy to his conflicted love of home and of Western literary tradition; from the wisdom-making pain of time and mortality to the strange wonder of love, the natural world, and what it means to be human. We see his lifelong labor at poetic crafts, his broadening of the possibilities of rhyme and meter, stanza forms, language, and metaphor.

Edited and with an introduction by the Jamaican poet and critic Edward Baugh, this volume is a perfect representation of Walcott's breadth of work, spanning almost half a century.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Love Poems

This chapter explores the universal theme of love through a diverse range of poetic voices.

* "Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare: A timeless sonnet that celebrates the transformative power of love, comparing it to the enduring beauty of nature.
* "When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be" by John Keats: A haunting and bittersweet poem that confronts the inevitability of death while expressing a deep longing for love.
* "I Will Not Cease from Mental Fight" by Claude McKay: A defiant and passionate sonnet that affirms the determination to fight for social justice and equal love.

Chapter 2: The Nature Poems

This chapter celebrates the beauty and wonder of the natural world, capturing its tranquility and its power.

* "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats: A lyrical and atmospheric poem that transports the reader to a moonlit night where the nightingale's song becomes a symbol of transcendent beauty.
* "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost: A tranquil and reflective poem that captures the moment of pause and contemplation amidst the stillness of a winter's night.
* "The Sea" by Emily Dickinson: A concise and evocative poem that explores the vastness and enigmatic nature of the ocean, contrasting its allure with its potential for destruction.

Chapter 3: The Identity Poems

This chapter delves into the complexities of individual identity, self-exploration, and the search for meaning.

* "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou: A powerful and moving poem that tells the story of a caged bird, using it as a metaphor for the silencing of marginalized voices.
* "Identity" by Derek Walcott: A personal and introspective poem that explores the fragmented nature of identity and the tension between one's roots and one's sense of belonging.
* "Mirror" by Sylvia Plath: A dark and haunting poem that confronts the distorted and self-destructive nature of self-perception.

Chapter 4: The Hero Poems

This chapter celebrates the transformative power of heroism, both in ordinary and extraordinary circumstances.

* "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley: A sonnet that depicts the ruins of a once-mighty king, serving as a reminder of the transience of power and the inevitability of decay.
* "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke: A playful and nostalgic poem that captures the ambiguous love between a father and son, who dance "waltzing down the street."
* "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright: A powerful and heartbreaking short story that explores the tragic consequences of societal oppression and the search for identity.

Chapter 5: The Social Justice Poems

This chapter tackles important issues of social inequality, injustice, and the search for change.

* "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot: A fragmented and complex poem that explores the disillusionment and chaos of post-World War I society.
* "Poem for My American Grandchildren" by Gwendolyn Brooks: A heartfelt and urgent poem that calls for racial justice and a better future for generations to come.
* "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr.: A powerful and transformative speech that articulated the vision of racial equality and laid the foundation for the civil rights movement.