Answer to Question #235066 in English for Sayem

Question

This a 1-2 page writing homework from the Omeros book poems.

Instructions: A close reading of a passage of Derek Walcott’s Omeros that stood out to you. It should engage closely with the language and thought-process of a specific part of the text. In writing this short piece (1-2 page), quote directly from your chosen passage where appropriate.

Answer 1

The masterpiece "Omeros" by Derek Walcott illustrates the metaphors for human life to be seen by ancient myths, linking present with past and future, loneliness and communities, fiction and reality, natural and artificial elements of life. However, it is not a retelling of the stories of Homer but rather a free association that focuses on myths, history, and language which shaped the particular characters of this drama: living in islands that have their own creative myths and are strongly influenced by various European and Asian elements, characterized by global and yet refreshingly unique and individual history. The verse novel is above all a poetic celebration of language and its capacity in time and space to bring people together. Words and their various meanings are part of the charm of the chapters that flow like a river that push the story slowly on into constantly changing but consistent waves.

"I felt the foam head watching as I stroked an arm, as

cold as its marble, then the shoulders in winter light

in the studio attic. I said: "Omeros,"