Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Derek Walcott’s poem "The Light of the World" is deeply rooted in the landscape and culture of St. Lucia, particularly the community of Gros Islet. The poem’s setting—a bus ride between Gros Islet and the Market—frames the speaker’s reflections on beauty, love, abandonment, and belonging. The poem offers a richly textured exploration of the speaker’s connection to his homeland, grappling with both his love for its people and his feelings of having abandoned them. St. Lucia, an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean ,was Walcott's birthplace.

The poem begins with the speaker admiring a woman on the bus, whose beauty he compares to a statue and the figure of Liberty from Delacroix’s "Liberty Leading the People". Her presence captivates the speaker, and she becomes a symbol of a deeper, more universal beauty, one that transcends the moment and the surroundings. This invocation of the titular phrase—"O Beauty, you are the light of the world!"—marks a key thematic thread throughout the poem: the idea of beauty as a guiding light in a world otherwise marked by struggle and hardship. The speaker’s admiration is grounded in the specifics of the woman’s appearance and the environment, with the lights on her cheekbones highlighting her “silkened black skin.”

As the bus moves through the streets of Gros Islet, the poem opens up to a broader reflection on the community and the life of its people. The imagery of "grit of charcoal" and "litter of vegetables after Saturday's sales" evokes a bustling yet gritty marketplace, where the remnants of the week’s trade linger. The scene feels both familiar and laden with a sense of weariness, as the speaker observes “drunk women on pavements” and the closing of the market. The speaker’s nostalgia for his childhood, with memories of gas lanterns and the old roar of vendors, contrasts sharply with the current state of the market, now marked by shadows and quarrels. This contrast highlights the passage of time and the changes within the community, but also the persistence of struggle.

One of the most poignant aspects of the poem is the speaker’s grappling with his sense of abandonment. He reflects on the community he has left behind, noting, “I had abandoned them.” The speaker’s success as an artist, his departure from St. Lucia, and his inability to fully inhabit the world of those around him create a sense of emotional and existential disconnection. The old woman’s plea to the driver—“Pas quittez moi a terre”—is rendered in patois, adding a layer of cultural specificity to the poem. Her words, meaning “Don’t leave me stranded,” resonate with the speaker’s own feelings of being left behind or having left something behind. The shift in stress, where “Don’t leave me the earth” becomes a plea not to inherit the burdens of life, deepens the sense of abandonment and weariness.

At the same time, the poem is suffused with a deep love for the people of St. Lucia. The speaker’s desire to be with the woman by the window, to share a simple life with her, reflects his yearning for connection and intimacy. He imagines a life where they share a small house by the beach in Gros Islet, where they live in quiet peace, illuminated by the glow of a kerosene lamp. This vision of domestic bliss is idealized and perhaps unattainable, but it speaks to the speaker’s longing for a sense of belonging and home, a feeling of being rooted in the world.

However, this vision is interrupted by the realities of life. The speaker recognizes that his place is no longer fully within this world, as he returns to the Halcyon Hotel, a transient space filled with tourists. The emotional climax of the poem comes when the speaker’s pack of cigarettes is returned to him by a fellow passenger. This small gesture, though seemingly insignificant, carries profound emotional weight. It is a moment of kindness, of connection, and it brings the speaker to the verge of tears. The fact that he hides his tears suggests a deep internal struggle, an unspoken sorrow that runs throughout the poem.

Walcott’s choice of title, "The Light of the World," underscores the central role of beauty, both physical and spiritual, in illuminating life’s hardships. The woman’s beauty, the warmth of the bus, and the small gestures of neighborliness all represent sources of light in a world marked by struggle and abandonment. Yet, this light is fragile and fleeting, as the speaker himself acknowledges when he steps off the bus without saying goodnight—a gesture that would have been "full of inexpressible love."

The poem’s ending, with the speaker reflecting on the gift he has to offer—his art—brings the poem full circle. The speaker recognizes that while he may not be able to give the people of St. Lucia material aid or comfort, he can offer them his poetry. "The Light of the World" becomes both a tribute to the people of Gros Islet and a testament to the power of art to illuminate the complexities of human experience.

In conclusion, "The Light of the World" is a profound meditation on love, beauty, abandonment, and belonging, set within the specific cultural and geographical context of St. Lucia. Walcott’s use of vivid imagery and rich sensory details brings the island and its people to life, while his exploration of personal and communal identity offers a poignant reflection on the challenges of connection in a world marked by displacement and loss.

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