Dec 17, 2009

Two Poems on the Passing of an Empire | Two Poems on the Passing of an Empire

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]

Two Poems on the Passing of an Empire | Two Poems on the Passing of an Empire

At a glance:

The Poem

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