Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Derek Walcott's "Old New England" is a richly textured reflection on the intersection of history, nature, and cultural memory in the northeastern United States. Through vivid imagery of New England’s landscape and historical allusions, the poem delves into themes of war, colonization, and the inescapable ties between the past and present. Walcott draws on the region's history of whaling, the Vietnam War, and the displacement of Native Americans to craft a meditation on the violent legacies that underpin American identity. At the same time, the poem critiques the moral contradictions embedded in the nation's formation, particularly the religious fervor that coexisted with acts of violence and exploitation.

The poem opens with an image of "black clippers, tarred with whales' blood," folding their sails as they enter the ports of New England—New Bedford, New London, New Haven. These clippers, historically linked to the whaling industry, are a powerful symbol of both economic prosperity and the brutality of human exploitation. The blood of whales that "tarred" these ships reflects the violent extraction of resources that fueled early American industry. The use of "black" evokes a sense of foreboding and moral darkness, suggesting that the wealth built on the whaling industry was tainted by cruelty and death. The ships' arrival into these iconic New England towns links the past to the present, as these towns, steeped in colonial history, are the stages on which American identity was constructed.

The image of a "white church spire" whistling into space "like a swordfish" or a rocket "piercing heaven" connects New England’s Puritan religious heritage to both the natural world and modern technological advances. The swordfish, a creature of the sea, mirrors the clippers’ maritime journey, while the rocket evokes the idea of progress and the drive for conquest, extending from the sea to the sky. Yet, this upward movement is juxtaposed with the earthbound imagery of "thawed springs in icy chevrons" racing down hillsides, grounding the poem in the cyclical rhythms of nature. The "Old Glories" flailing in the wind connect to the "crosses of green farm boys back from 'Nam," referencing the return of soldiers from the Vietnam War. This line highlights the continuity of war across generations and how these conflicts, whether fought on foreign soil or within the nation's borders, leave indelible marks on the landscape and its people.

Walcott then reflects on the enduring presence of nature in this war-torn landscape: "Seasons are measured still by the same / span of the veined leaf and the veined body." Here, the connection between the human body and the natural world is emphasized, suggesting that the passage of time, war, and suffering are inscribed in both the land and the human form. The image of marching oaks "with memories of a war / that peeled whole counties from the calendar" evokes the Revolutionary War and the way it forever altered the landscape of New England. The peeling away of counties suggests that war erases not only people but also places, as history wipes out entire regions from memory.

The poem's focus on the "white meetinghouse" spire, which "wounds" the hillside, underscores the paradoxical nature of New England's religious heritage. The spire, a symbol of piety and moral righteousness, is also an instrument of division and conquest, as it sits on land once inhabited by Native Americans. The "Indian trail" trickling down like "the brown blood of the whale" suggests that just as the whales were hunted and killed, so too were the indigenous peoples displaced and destroyed. The comparison between the rowanberries and the blood of the whale underscores the natural violence that lies at the heart of American history, where beauty and brutality are inextricably linked.

The poem also draws attention to the erasure of Native American presence: "The war whoop is coiled tight in the white owl, / stone-feathered icon of the Indian soul." This line captures the tension between the enduring spiritual presence of Native Americans and their physical absence from the land, as symbolized by the owl, a creature of wisdom and mystery. The "railway lines arrowing to the far / mountainwide absence of the Iroquois" reflect the displacement of indigenous tribes, whose land was taken over by the expanding nation. The absence of the Iroquois, a once-powerful confederacy, speaks to the larger theme of colonization and the forced removal of native peoples from their ancestral homes.

As the poem progresses, Walcott introduces the idea of broken promises: "Spring lances wood and wound, and a spring runs / down tilted birch floors with their splintered suns / of beads and mirrors—broken promises." The image of splintered suns and broken mirrors suggests that the ideals of the American republic—symbolized by light and reflection—have been shattered by the realities of violence, exploitation, and betrayal. The reference to broken promises likely alludes to the treaties made with Native Americans, which were frequently violated, as well as the broader failures of the American project to live up to its founding principles.

Walcott then addresses the religious and moral convictions that have shaped New England: "The crest of our conviction grows as loud / as the spring oaks, rooted and reassured / that God is meek but keeps a whistling sword." The idea that God is both meek and vengeful captures the moral ambiguity of the Puritan legacy, which preached humility and devotion while justifying acts of violence and conquest. The "white lance of the church" and the "wandering mind" of God folded in birch suggest that religion, like the landscape, is both a source of beauty and a tool of domination.

The poem concludes with the image of the black clippers returning from the East, "knotting each shroud / round the crosstrees," bringing home sons from war. This final image ties together the themes of conquest, war, and death, as the sons who return from distant lands are wrapped in the shrouds of mourning. The mention of the "melted beast" boiled in vats refers to the whaling industry, connecting the consumption of natural resources with the consumption of human lives in war.

In "Old New England," Derek Walcott creates a powerful meditation on the history of New England, blending the region's religious, colonial, and military past with the enduring presence of nature. Through vivid imagery and historical allusions, Walcott critiques the contradictions at the heart of American identity, where ideals of freedom and piety coexist with violence, exploitation, and loss. The poem captures the ways in which history is inscribed on both the landscape and the human body, suggesting that the wounds of the past continue to shape the present.

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