Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Saint Lucia's First Communion," Derek Walcott presents a tender, almost ethereal portrayal of a First Communion ceremony set in Saint Lucia. Through his rich use of imagery, the poem explores themes of innocence, faith, and the inevitable loss of purity as children grow up and are exposed to the complexities of life. Walcott weaves together a poignant narrative that contrasts the fragile, fleeting moment of spiritual purity with the encroaching darkness of the real world, where prejudice and evil loom just beyond the ceremony’s boundaries.

The poem opens with a simple, vivid image: a "black child" standing at the edge of an asphalt road at dusk, dressed in a "white cotton frock" and "cotton stockings." The juxtaposition of the "worn-out ribbon" of asphalt with the pristine white clothing creates an immediate tension between the child's innocence and the world around her. The worn asphalt, symbolizing the passage of time and the realities of life, stands in stark contrast to the purity and newness of the Communion attire, representing spiritual rebirth and the ceremonial significance of the moment.

Walcott expands this initial image into a "small field" of children, all dressed in the same white Communion garb, holding "pink ribboned missals" in their hands. The repetition of these small, angelic figures dressed in white evokes a sense of ritualistic uniformity, highlighting the communal aspect of the event. The children, "erect as candles," symbolize both spiritual enlightenment and fragility, standing upright in their innocence before the inevitable onset of darkness—both literal and metaphorical.

The poem's imagery of the children’s appearance is infused with natural elements. The girls’ "stiff plaits pinned with their white satin moths" liken them to delicate creatures of nature, yet the reference to "the caterpillar’s accordion, still pumping out the myth" introduces a note of ambiguity. The caterpillar is a symbol of transformation, but here, its action of "pumping out the myth" suggests that the religious faith represented by the Communion is still being constructed or reinforced, much like the caterpillar is still in the process of becoming. The "wafer pods in belief without an 'if'" speaks to the unquestioning nature of childhood faith, the acceptance of religious doctrine without the doubts or complications that may come with age and experience.

The image of the children "arranged on church steps, facing the sun's lens" draws attention to the ceremonial and performative nature of the event. The sun, likened to a camera's lens, captures the children in a moment of spiritual purity, almost freezing them in time. They are "erect as candles between squinting parents," a simile that not only emphasizes their upright innocence but also subtly points to the pressure placed upon them by the expectations of adults, their parents watching over them. The sun’s setting, however, heralds the coming of darkness, suggesting that this moment of purity is temporary, and the children will soon face the realities of life beyond the ceremony.

Walcott introduces a deeply personal, almost magical wish in the middle of the poem, where the speaker expresses a desire to shield the children from the harshness of the world. Imagining the ability to "pull up on the verge of the dimming asphalt" in a car, the speaker envisions housing each child in his hands and "delicately urg[ing] the last moth delicately in." This protective impulse is both tender and wistful, as the speaker seeks to preserve the children’s innocence from the approaching darkness. The moth, a fragile, nocturnal creature, symbolizes the children’s purity and vulnerability. The speaker’s desire to gather them into the "dark car" and "loose them in thousands to stagger heavenward" reflects a deep yearning to safeguard their innocence, to somehow launch them towards spiritual transcendence before the world’s evils can touch them.

The final lines of the poem shift from this gentle, protective fantasy to a recognition of the inevitable. The speaker wishes to shield the children from the forces of "prejudice" and "evil" that await them, but he knows that these forces are inescapable. The phrase "before it came on" suggests that darkness, in the form of societal and personal corruption, is always on the horizon, ready to overtake the children once they step away from the sanctuary of the ceremony. The poem ends on a note of melancholy, acknowledging that despite the beauty and purity of the First Communion, the children will soon face a world filled with moral complexities and challenges.

In "Saint Lucia’s First Communion," Derek Walcott masterfully captures the fragile beauty of childhood innocence and the fleeting nature of spiritual purity. Through his evocative imagery and delicate treatment of the ceremony, Walcott reflects on the universal experience of growing up and losing that initial, untainted faith. The poem’s tension between the light of innocence and the darkness of the outside world serves as a meditation on the inevitable passage from childhood to adulthood, from spiritual purity to the confrontations of reality. Walcott’s poetic language elevates the First Communion beyond a mere religious event, transforming it into a poignant metaphor for the loss of innocence and the inexorable approach of life’s more difficult truths.

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