Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Che", Derek Walcott captures the iconic image of Che Guevara’s death, imbuing it with a vivid, almost painterly quality. The poem opens with a description of a "dark-grained news photograph," immediately placing the reader in the realm of visual imagery. The glare in the photo is compared to the style of Caravaggio, an artist known for his dramatic use of light and shadow. This comparison not only emphasizes the stark contrast in the image but also elevates the moment of death to something almost sacred or mythic. The body of Che is described as glowing "candle-white" on a "cold altar," invoking religious imagery that likens Che to a martyr or Christ-like figure, lying in state after his execution.

Walcott’s choice of words like "corpse" and "altar" further strengthens this religious metaphor, suggesting that Che’s body is not just a victim of violence but has been sanctified in death. The "stone Bolivian Indian butcher's slab" on which Che’s body lies adds layers of historical and political complexity. The "Bolivian Indian" reference ties Che’s death to the indigenous history of Bolivia, a country with its own struggles for freedom and justice, while "butcher’s slab" invokes the brutal reality of Che’s execution.

As the poem continues, the imagery of Che’s body transforms. His flesh, initially "waxen," begins to harden "to marble" and "veined, white Andean iron." This transformation into something resembling marble or iron suggests that Che, in death, has become a monument—something eternal and unbreakable. Walcott connects Che’s body to the Andes, the towering mountain range that stretches across South America, symbolizing strength and endurance. The choice of "Andean iron" further underscores the idea that Che, even in death, remains a figure of revolutionary resilience.

Walcott’s use of the word "cabrón," a Spanish insult meaning something like "bastard" or "coward," is directed toward Che’s captors. It conveys the poet’s disdain for those responsible for Che’s death, while also implying that Che’s enemies were driven by fear and doubt. Walcott’s tone here is accusatory, suggesting that Che’s captors’ fear was what led them to kill him. The corpse’s "pallor grows" from this fear, as though the whiteness of Che’s body is an indictment of their cowardice.

The final lines of the poem deepen the religious and sacrificial themes. Walcott writes that Che "stumbled from your doubt, and for your pardon / burnt in brown trash, far from the embalming owls." The image of Che "stumbling" evokes the stations of the cross, where Christ stumbles under the weight of the cross. Che’s execution becomes a moment of martyrdom, and his "burnt" remains symbolize his sacrifice. The reference to "brown trash" points to the dehumanizing treatment of Che’s body after death, as he was buried in an unmarked grave for decades before being exhumed. The "embalming owls" could be interpreted as a symbol of wisdom or death, evoking a sense of permanence and finality. However, Che’s death, far from being erased, is memorialized in history and art, much like the mythic figures in religious or classical paintings.

In "Che", Walcott masterfully intertwines visual, religious, and political imagery to create a complex portrait of Che Guevara’s death. Through comparisons to Caravaggio and the Andes, Walcott elevates Che’s execution into a moment of martyrdom, while also critiquing the fear and doubt of those who killed him. The poem’s dense, layered language transforms the photograph of Che’s corpse into a meditation on the power of revolution, sacrifice, and the enduring nature of icons.

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