Geo- and ecocritical considerations of Derek Walcott’s multitasking, omnipresent sea

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    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This essay identifies four related functions regarding representations of the sea in Derek Walcott’s poetry. Historical, communicative, and spiritual functions of the ocean trope appear to complement the overarching self-referential purpose throughout the massive oeuvre of the eighty-five year old St. Lucian Nobel Laureate. Despite Walcott’s preoccupation with maritime and nautical imagery, this trope remains insufficiently studied. A more recent increase in attention owes to the two related critical approaches labeled eco- and geocriticism. Situating the former closer to the socalled humanities and the latter to the social – or natural sciences, this essay argues that they are equally relevant for the present study. Relying on Ben T. Jefferson’s conclusion in “The Sea as Place in Derek Walcott’s Poetry” (2013), that Walcott’s representations of the sea favor phenomenological understanding as they challenge notions of nation, the focus is on the trope as active, driving force with its own agency.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)196-203
    Number of pages8
    JournalInternational Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature
    Volume4
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2015

    Keywords

    • Caribbean literature
    • Cultural geography
    • Derek Walcott
    • Ecocriticism
    • Geocriticism
    • Poetry

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Language and Linguistics
    • Linguistics and Language
    • Literature and Literary Theory

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