american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
american political poetry in the 21st century - STIBA Malang
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
92 AMERICAN POLITICAL POETRY<br />
In Derek Walcott: Politics and Poetics (2000), Paula Burnett argues<br />
that Walcott’s poetic “impetus has been to devise an <strong>in</strong>clusive<br />
solution” (8) to problems stemm<strong>in</strong>g from colonialism, racism, and<br />
<strong>political</strong> conflict. Walcott, she claims, is “an idealist” who “believes <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> openendedness of possibilities” (9). Part of this idealism and proclivity<br />
for <strong>in</strong>clusion, she po<strong>in</strong>ts out, “repudiates <strong>the</strong> tragic view of <strong>the</strong><br />
human condition that sees it as unable to transcend <strong>the</strong> patterns<br />
ev<strong>in</strong>ced by <strong>the</strong> past.” As such, Walcott “recognizes that <strong>the</strong> dream can<br />
lead <strong>the</strong> reality <strong>in</strong>to amelioration” (8–9). As Burnett’s claim makes<br />
clear, Walcott’s vision is not piecemeal but holistic; his aes<strong>the</strong>tic is not<br />
exclusionary but encompass<strong>in</strong>g. For Walcott as for Harjo, <strong>the</strong><br />
imag<strong>in</strong>ation can do <strong>political</strong> work; <strong>in</strong> it <strong>in</strong>heres <strong>the</strong> possibility for<br />
positive, transformative change. In <strong>the</strong> words of Paul Bresl<strong>in</strong>, <strong>the</strong>n,<br />
“The Season of Phantasmal Peace” is an “affirmation of <strong>the</strong> transcendent”<br />
(320). It supplies <strong>the</strong> ultimate <strong>in</strong> “<strong>in</strong>clusive” solutions and<br />
“open-ended” possibilities.<br />
As is true of <strong>the</strong> previous poems <strong>in</strong> chapter 2, <strong>the</strong> first l<strong>in</strong>e of<br />
Walcott’s poem is a relatively abstract and mysterious comprehensive<br />
vision. However, Walcott beg<strong>in</strong>s with a “<strong>the</strong>n” statement that suggests<br />
an absent antecedent: “Then all <strong>the</strong> nations of birds lifted<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r” (464–465 my emphasis). In conjunction with “all,”<br />
“Then” immediately gives <strong>the</strong> poem an epic scale, as if <strong>the</strong> events<br />
detailed <strong>the</strong>re<strong>in</strong> are <strong>the</strong> culm<strong>in</strong>ation of (or response to) centuries of<br />
oppressive violence and division. F<strong>in</strong>ally, <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong>s<strong>in</strong>uate, all <strong>the</strong><br />
human nations of <strong>the</strong> world are united <strong>in</strong> a moment of peace. L<strong>in</strong>e<br />
one also <strong>in</strong>itiates <strong>the</strong> poem’s ma<strong>in</strong> symbol—“nations of birds” symbolizes<br />
nations of people. The use of birds <strong>in</strong> lieu of people is more<br />
<strong>in</strong>direct, which is <strong>in</strong> keep<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> disembodied voice of equivocal<br />
agency; birds, moreover, have <strong>the</strong> ability to fly, and <strong>in</strong>deed, when<br />
many birds fly, <strong>the</strong>y fly <strong>in</strong> flocks. This extended conceit is perhaps <strong>the</strong><br />
primary reason that Vendler calls it <strong>the</strong> “best” poem <strong>in</strong> The Fortunate<br />
Traveller, as she worries about any poet who is <strong>in</strong>vested <strong>in</strong> a certa<strong>in</strong><br />
“subject” that may result <strong>in</strong> his use of language simply as “ornament<br />
to his message, <strong>the</strong> rhetoric for his sermon” (“Poet of Two Worlds”<br />
32, 26). This poem is light not heavy-handed, visionary not directive,<br />
beneficent not exculpatory, and its speakerless voice is transparent<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than histrionic. A sermon, after all, needs a sermonizer, which<br />
is someth<strong>in</strong>g that this poem lacks.<br />
Walcott’s united birds miraculously lift what normally cannot be<br />
lifted but by <strong>the</strong> rotation of <strong>the</strong> earth around <strong>the</strong> sun: “<strong>the</strong> huge net<br />
of shadows of this earth.” These shadows, which appear <strong>in</strong> different<br />
form throughout <strong>the</strong> poem, are “<strong>in</strong> multitud<strong>in</strong>ous dialects, twitter<strong>in</strong>g