Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Sublime Always Begins with Chaord 'And I Saw,'" Derek Walcott explores the overwhelming power of the sublime and the chaotic beauty of nature, where apocalyptic imagery merges with personal reflection. The poem investigates how the sublime—a concept deeply rooted in Romanticism, often defined by awe-inspiring grandeur mixed with terror—takes form through natural forces and the individual’s confrontation with vast, uncontrollable phenomena. Through this exploration, Walcott reflects on the insignificance of the self in the face of nature's chaos, while finding joy and acceptance within that realization.

The poem begins with a recognition of how the sublime experience is introduced: "The sublime always begins with the chord / 'And then I saw.'" This phrase suggests that the sublime is revealed through a moment of perception, a vision that unlocks something beyond the ordinary. The "chord" evokes both musicality and a sense of harmony, hinting at the spiritual or transcendent qualities that accompany the experience of the sublime. The phrase "And then I saw" signals the beginning of an unfolding revelation, echoing biblical language where visions of the divine or catastrophic are introduced.

Walcott follows this opening with a vision of "apocalyptic cumuli"—clouds that curl and divide, suggesting a dramatic, stormy scene filled with both beauty and impending doom. The clouds are described with apocalyptic imagery, where the horsemen of the apocalypse—"Famine, Plague, Death, and War"—emerge. This biblical allusion to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse heightens the sense of chaos and destruction that accompanies the sublime. The "whirling rose" that broadens its rings in the void is a metaphor for the expanding chaos, the vortex of nature’s forces that sweeps all before it, indifferent to human concerns.

The imagery of "clouds as an avalanche of skulls" rolling over a "still, leaden sea" reinforces the poem's exploration of death, destruction, and the terror associated with the sublime. These images carry a powerful sense of annihilation, where nature’s forces are depicted as unstoppable and indifferent. Yet, within this destructive force, there is also a sense of grandeur and inevitability, as if the very scale of destruction is itself awe-inspiring. The "still, leaden sea" contrasts with the rolling avalanche of skulls, emphasizing the tension between the static and the dynamic, the calm and the catastrophic.

Walcott introduces the image of "storm-birds" that "panic differently," signaling a shift in the natural order as the storm approaches. The tolling bell, which rings only in the speaker’s mind, suggests an internal response to the external chaos. This soundless bell becomes a metaphor for the deep, subconscious awareness of the sublime’s power, and how it resonates within the individual. The description of the coconut trees "bending like grazing giraffes" adds a surreal, almost tranquil image amid the chaos, highlighting nature's adaptability to the forces of destruction.

As the speaker stands on "dark sand," he gradually accepts the darkness that grows around him, not as a force of fear but as one of joy and "promised anonymity." Here, Walcott shifts the tone from terror to a kind of ecstatic acceptance. The darkness, once overwhelming, becomes a source of liberation, offering the speaker a way to dissolve into the larger forces at play. The speaker finds joy in this anonymity, in the realization that nature’s sublime power exists "without the least thought of me." This acknowledgment of personal insignificance in the face of nature’s grandeur allows the speaker to embrace the chaos with a sense of wonder and delight.

The white horse that "leapt" over the "serrated turret of a rock" evokes the energy and elation of nature’s forces, as it "vaulted with the elation of its horsemen." The horse, a symbol of both freedom and chaos, represents the wild, uncontrolled power of the natural world. Its movement through the poem mirrors the gusts of wind and the "vertiginous chaos" that define the sublime experience. The reference to a "leaf in a sudden gust of force" suggests that even the smallest elements of nature are swept up in this larger, chaotic dance, further emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things in the face of the sublime.

Walcott ends the poem by reinforcing the inevitability of chaos and the impossibility of understanding its origins: "one dare not ask of the thunder what is its cause." The speaker recognizes that the sublime is beyond explanation, a force that must be accepted without question. The final line—"Let it be written: The dark days also I have praised"—signals the speaker’s ultimate acceptance of both the terror and beauty of the sublime. Rather than fearing the darkness and chaos, the speaker finds value in it, acknowledging that even the most overwhelming and destructive forces of nature hold their own form of beauty and significance.

In "Sublime Always Begins with Chaord 'And I Saw,'" Derek Walcott delves into the powerful, awe-inspiring forces of nature and the human response to the sublime. Through vivid imagery and allusions to biblical and apocalyptic visions, Walcott captures the tension between fear and wonder, destruction and beauty. The poem suggests that in confronting the vast, uncontrollable forces of nature, one can find a sense of joy and liberation in accepting the insignificance of the self. By embracing the chaos, the speaker reaches a deeper understanding of the sublime’s power and its ability to evoke both terror and awe, ultimately praising the dark days alongside the light.

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