Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "Verandah," Derek Walcott navigates themes of colonial legacy, generational inheritance, and personal identity through the lens of familial and historical reflection. The poem draws upon imagery of a verandah, a space symbolically suspended between interior and exterior worlds, where spectral figures of the past linger in quiet reflection. Through these apparitions, Walcott contemplates the lasting impact of colonialism and personal history on the present.

The poem opens with "grey apparitions at verandah ends," conjuring ghostly figures who embody the colonial past, fading yet still present. The use of "smoke" to describe these figures emphasizes their transient and insubstantial nature, symbolizing the dissolution of the colonial world. The phrase "your age is ashes, its coherence gone" suggests that the era of empire and colonial rule has crumbled, leaving only remnants of what once was.

The ghosts that haunt the verandah represent figures from the colonial past, such as planters whose "tears were marketable gum" and "Colonels, hard as the commonwealth's greenheart." These figures are described with a mix of irony and nostalgia, as their roles in sustaining the empire through exploitation and commerce are acknowledged. The "marketable gum" refers to the commodification of emotions and human suffering, hinting at the economic basis of colonial rule. The "greenheart," a durable wood, symbolizes the harsh and resilient nature of the colonial mindset that upheld the empire.

Walcott’s reference to "Upholders of Victoria's china seas" and the "empire club" ties these figures to the British Empire, particularly the Victorian era, where the symbols of power and dominance are intertwined with nostalgia for a fading world. The "tarantara of the bugler" and "flamingo colours" evoke the ceremonial aspects of the empire, the pomp and grandeur now reduced to faint echoes. The phrase "the sunset furled / round the last post" suggests both the literal end of a day and the metaphorical end of an empire.

The shift in the poem occurs when the speaker directly addresses his grandfather, whose "ghost steps from you." The grandfather’s legacy is marked by tragedy—he is "uprooted from some rainy English shire" and ultimately meets a "Roman End in suicide by fire." The image of the grandfather’s charred remains being gathered by his "mixed son" and buried in a foreign land underscores the themes of displacement, loss, and the fractured identities caused by colonialism. The act of burial on "a strange coast" speaks to the dislocation felt by those caught between worlds, whether geographically or culturally.

The speaker questions why he feels compelled to "raise you up," addressing his grandfather’s memory. The answer lies in the legacy that persists: "Your house has voices, your burnt house / shrills with unguessed, lovely inheritors." Despite the destruction of the past, the speaker acknowledges the continuity of life through "lovely inheritors," the descendants who carry forward the genealogical and cultural legacy. The "fallen" roof tree of the house, symbolizing the collapse of the colonial world, is nonetheless preserved "like seasoned timber" in the lives of those who continue to grow and thrive.

The poem’s final stanza brings the speaker closer to his own reckoning with this inheritance. He acknowledges that he is "ripen[ing] towards your twilight," inching closer to the end of his own life and, perhaps, his own understanding of the past. The sea-crossing, a reference to both the physical journeys of colonization and the metaphorical journey of understanding one’s history, becomes a central image. The speaker envisions himself "singed in that sea-crossing," caught between the flames of the past and the cooling waters of the present. The image of "pressured trees" producing "diamonds out of coals" reflects the transformative power of time, hardship, and history.

The concluding lines offer a powerful synthesis of identity and inheritance. The speaker proclaims, "I am the man my father loved and was," expressing a deep connection to both his father and grandfather, while recognizing the complexity of that heritage. The act of climbing the stair and reaching out a "darkening hand" to greet the ghosts of the past suggests a willingness to confront and reconcile with the legacies of colonialism and family history. The "last inheritance" of "earth, our shrine and pardoner" signals both the inevitability of death and the possibility of forgiveness and redemption.

In "Verandah," Derek Walcott masterfully intertwines personal and historical reflection, using the imagery of a decaying colonial past to explore themes of identity, inheritance, and the enduring influence of history. The ghosts that linger on the verandah represent not only the fading figures of empire but also the unresolved legacies that continue to shape the present. Through his exploration of family and history, Walcott grapples with the complexities of belonging, displacement, and the passage of time.

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