“Africa of the Heart”: The African Experience in Derek Walcott's Omeros

Abstract

   Derek Walcott's book-length poem Omeros won critical acclaim soon after its publication in 1990. In this poem, the world of the Caribbean is linked with that of Homer by recalling the dramas of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey in a Caribbean setting. Africa is heavily featured in Omeros as most of the major characters of the poem who in one way or another go through the African experience. 'Return to Africa' is a recurrent theme in Derek Walcott's works. However, this kind of return is not for the sole purpose of finding their old lost homeland, but rather for establishing roots and maintaining identity for the characters. The purpose of the study is to investigate the poet's use of Africa in Omeros in association with roots and identity. The study argues that Africa is projected on all the characters to retain a strong link to Africa not as a surrogate home but as a place from which they get inspiration.