Omeros: Carribean Epic

"A long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or a race." (Harmon & Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 7th ed.)

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"Preparing the Net," 1999, oil on canvas by Derek Walcott.

Characteristics of an Epic

Characters are larger-than-life beings of national importance and historical or legendary significance.
The setting is grand in scope, covering nations, the world, or even the universe.
The action consists of deeds of great valor and courage.
Style is sustained in tone and language.
Supernatural forces interest themselves in human action and often intervene directly.

Particular Epic Techniques in the Western Tradition

An invocation to the Muse for inspiration in the telling of a story.
Epics tend to start in media res. "In the middle of the action."
Epic catalogs list warriors, armies, etc.
Dialogues tend to be extended, formal speeches.
Epic similes are frequent.

Epic simile: "a long, grand comparison which is so vivid that it temporarily displaces the object to which it is compared."

Questions about Omeros' Epic Nature

Look over the general definition and characteristics of an epic. Which aspects of these has Walcott adopted for his epic? Which aspects has he altered? What is he trying to suggest by doing this--about the nature of the Caribbean? about the nature of heroics? about the nature of race and culture?
Look at the invocation on pages 2983-2984. What are the characteristics of Achille that Walcott praises? What is he choosing to stress about Caribbean life here? Compare this with the invocation to Homer's Iliad translated below.
Look at the selection from Book Six on pages 2981-2982. This is an example of a modern epic catalog. Why would Walcott put together such a list?
Read the dialogue between Achille and his ancestor Afolabe. What do we learn about the nature of Achille's lost heritage?

"Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was the son of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest."
Homer. Iliad Book 1. trans. Samuel Butler.

"Omeros" 1990, oil on canvas by Derek Walcott

Questions about Omeros' General Message

How would you describe Achille's making of a pirogue (dugout canoe)? Is it a spiritual experience? Why or why not?
What is Walcott suggesting about the Caribbean past and present by describing the myth of the sunken galleon?
What kind of realm does the underworld represent for Achille?
What does Achille's dream return to the Nigeria of the Yoruba represent? What do we learn of him?
What connection does Achille see between the Christmas dance and his African ancestry?
What connection does Walcott draw between his visiting of the trail of tears in the United States and his culture's past?

"Domino Players," gouache on paper, done by Derek Walcott in 1999.

Another way to frame the issue at stake in questions 7-9 is to consider where the final source for right and wrong is located. Christians believe that this is God. Yet even if you believe in absolutes, you still have to consider the question of how absolutes work themselves out in different cultures. Daisy's behavior is understood one way in America and another in Europe. At home, she would not be judged a loose girl, but in Rome she is. Even if you believe that her intentions are good (i.e., she is essentially innocent throughout the story), the question still remains whether the individual's right to be "true" to herself should take precedent over the judgments and mores of another culture. How should one adjudicate between the individual's search for freedom and self-identity and the claims of the community or culture to judge what behavior is loose?