Sir Derek Alton Walcott

Sir Derek Alton Walcott is remembered as one of the world’s prolific poets and one whose literary brilliance allowed him to write a rich mosaic of poems and theatrical forms that captured the true essence of the Caribbean soul and spirit. Walcott began his journey into poetry at the tender age of 14 and was successful at publishing his first poem titled “1944” during that year. His passion and hard work for poetry paid off when he became successful at publishing his first book of poems at the age of 18 with the help of his mother. His continuous commitment and passion for literature allowed him to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. His work was described as a “poetic oeuvre of great luminosity sustained by a historical vision, the outcome of a multi-cultural commitment”. Walcott’s “unique ability to weave cultural blends of African, Asiatic and European elements” in his theatrical and poetic mosaics aptly captures the artistic interpretations of the sordidness of slavery, colonialism, and post-colonialism in the Caribbean. Walcott, the man who unapologetically identified as “absolutely a Caribbean Writer,” was fearless in his efforts to explain the epistemological effects of colonialism and its impact on Caribbean people and their identity. In his work The Star-Apple Kingdom, Walcott succinctly captured the complexities and legacy of colonialism and its effects on the fragmentation of Caribbean identity. However, he made a deliberate effort in his work to color a path of hope toward becoming more resilient in the face of adversity. This chapter employs content analysis to analyze how the contributions of Walcott can be used to help build a new Africa.