Walcott's exploration of racial identity in Omeros comes from a deeply personal place, producing a nuanced view of the struggles his characters encounter in their daily lives. The narrator himself must confront his own experiences with racial bias and the destruction of entire cultures at the hands of colonialist powers.
Through his journeys, both literary and real, he contemplates his personal identity—son of an English father and Caribbean mother—in the face of a world history that seems rife with violence and subjugation. But the point of doing so is not to embitter himself or us. Walcott is raising the conversation about race and history to a new level by discussing it in verse, and the goal is always healing.
Questions About Race
- How do the narrator's encounters with his mother and father affect his view of the world?
- In what way does the image of the sea-swift help us think about racial identity in this poem? How about the frigate bird?
- How do the spirit journeys/visitations in the poem help the characters confront issues of personal/familial identity?
- Why does Walcott choose to associate Homer (and his poetry) with St. Lucia when the two appear to be quite different from each other?
Chew on This
Walcott identifies himself with the sea-swift because his work in Omeros is meant to bring the two hemispheres of his racial identity together.
Walcott conflates Omeros with Seven Seas to show that the figure of the poet transcends racial boundaries.