Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Almond Trees", Derek Walcott crafts a rich and complex meditation on the intersections of nature, history, and transformation. The poem juxtaposes the natural resilience of the almond trees against the cultural and historical changes that have shaped the Caribbean, particularly through the lens of colonialism, identity, and survival. By focusing on the almond trees and their symbolic connection to both nature and the human body, Walcott explores themes of endurance, metamorphosis, and the way landscapes hold the weight of history.

The poem opens in the early morning, presenting a scene that seems devoid of history: "There's nothing here / this early; / cold sand / cold churning ocean, the Atlantic, / no visible history." This setting—an empty beach and a restless ocean—suggests a landscape that, at first glance, appears untouched by the events of the past. The "no visible history" line reinforces this idea, implying that history is not immediately apparent but must be uncovered or interpreted.

However, the poem quickly reveals that history is, in fact, embedded in the landscape, symbolized by the "twisted, coppery, sea-almond trees." The almond trees, with their bent, metallic forms, evoke an image of resilience and endurance. Their "shining postures" and "twisted" shapes suggest that they have been shaped by the harsh conditions of the seaside—bent by the wind, salt, and sun over time, but still standing. These trees become emblematic of survival, much like the people and cultures that have endured in this place.

The figure of the "foam-haired, salt-grizzled fisherman" and his growling mongrel introduces a human presence, one that seems to merge with the natural elements. The fisherman, pitching a stick for his dog, is a simple, rugged figure who also embodies this theme of endurance. The line "no visible history" repeats, but this time, it is followed by the realization that the sun, as it lengthens the shadows of the trees and fisherman, reveals history in its shapes and forms. The ordinary becomes extraordinary when illuminated by light and time.

As the day progresses, the shore transforms: "By noon, / this further shore of Africa is strewn / with the forked limbs of girls toasting their flesh." Here, Walcott links the modern, everyday image of sunbathing women to the ancient mythological figures of Daphne and other nymphs. The reference to "Pompeian bikinis" and "brown daphnes, laurels" connects the contemporary scene to classical antiquity, suggesting that history and mythology are always present, even in seemingly mundane moments. The girls, like the almond trees, are undergoing their own transformation, their skin "cured" and "endured" by the sun’s fire.

The almond trees continue to serve as a central metaphor in the poem, embodying the process of enduring harsh elements and emerging transformed. The "fierce acetylene air" that "has singed / their writing trunks with rust" emphasizes the way the trees have been marked by their environment, much like the sunburnt bodies on the shore. The trees, which have gained their "brazen sheen from fire," are likened to human bodies that have been "cured" and "endured" through exposure to the elements. This parallel between the trees and human skin reinforces the theme of shared resilience and survival.

Walcott also touches on the erasure and renaming that comes with colonialism: "stripped of their name, / for Greek or Roman tags, they were lashed." The trees, like the Caribbean people, have been renamed and redefined by colonial powers, stripped of their original identities and forced into new, foreign classifications. Yet, despite this erasure, the trees and the people endure, finding strength in their survival. The "broad dialect" of the trees’ leaves becomes a metaphor for the enduring voice of those who have survived colonization and the harsh conditions of life in the Caribbean.

In the final stanza, the poem returns to the idea of metamorphosis: "One sunburnt body now acknowledges / that past and its own metamorphosis." The woman, who kneels to spread her wrap within the grove of almond trees, recognizes her connection to the past and the transformation she, too, has undergone. The trees, with their "grief" and "charred, ravaged holes," symbolize a kind of parental love, a silent but enduring presence that carries the weight of history and memory.

"Almond Trees" is a meditation on resilience, transformation, and the way history is inscribed in both nature and the human body. Through his vivid imagery and use of classical allusions, Walcott explores the connections between the natural world and human experience, emphasizing the enduring power of both to withstand and be shaped by time, violence, and the elements. The poem is a testament to survival, to the ability of both trees and people to endure hardship and emerge, changed but strong.

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