Two Poems on the Passing of an Empire (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Derek Walcott
- First Published: 1962
- Type of Work: Meditation
- Genres: Poetry, Meditation
- Subjects: Death or dying, Veterans, Birds, Imperialism, Great Britain, Holy Roman Empire, Flags
The Poem
As the title indicates, these are two poems about the passing of an empire: first the Roman, then the British. For Derek Walcott, the linking of the two imperial powers, however disparate they might seem, stresses the repetitive nature of history; in several other poems, he draws the same comparison, viewing the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean as analogous to the British domination of the Caribbean.
Born on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, Walcott grew up during the fading days of the British Empire. Of African descent, he received a British education...
[The entire page is 1480 words long]
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