Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Derek Walcott’s "Midsummer: 23" is a fiercely political and deeply reflective poem, examining themes of race, colonialism, and the complex relationship between England and the Caribbean. The poem juxtaposes images of natural decay with the violent unrest in Brixton, a district in London known for its racial tensions and the riots that occurred there in the 1980s. Walcott masterfully blends natural imagery with historical and cultural references, using the changing seasons as a metaphor for societal decline and racial strife.

The poem opens with a dynamic image of midsummer’s leaves "stampeding" with "the hiss and scurry of green lemmings," racing toward their inevitable death. This image of the leaves rushing toward extinction evokes a sense of urgency and chaos, as though nature itself is on the brink of collapse. The comparison to lemmings, animals often (though inaccurately) associated with mass suicide, suggests a mindless, collective drive toward destruction, both in nature and in humanity. The leaves’ fate is linked to the roar of a "Brixton riot," blending the natural world with the political unrest of the urban landscape. The "water hoses" tunneling through the riot evoke images of police violence and attempts to control the chaos, further linking the natural cycle of death with the racial tensions and violence of modern Britain.

Walcott’s description of the leaves as both "men as well as leaves" who "die for the sun" connects the natural world to human struggles. The sun, a source of life and energy, becomes something both revered and destructive, drawing the leaves—and by extension, people—toward their inevitable demise. This metaphor reflects the tension between vitality and destruction, suggesting that people, like the leaves, are caught in cycles of oppression and resistance. The image of the leaves "seething" toward autumn’s fire highlights the inevitability of this decline, and it is "in their nature" to meet this fate, just as it is in human nature to confront cycles of violence and death.

The poem then shifts to a historical and political context, with the leaves pulling "at their chains" and the branches bending "like Boer cattle under Tory whips." Here, Walcott draws a parallel between the natural world and the legacy of colonialism and apartheid. The "Boer cattle" evoke the image of the Boer War in South Africa, where British imperialism clashed with Dutch settlers. The reference to "Tory whips" and "apartheid" brings the focus to the racial politics of England and South Africa, suggesting that the oppression of black people is a recurring theme in the history of the British Empire. The poem collapses time and space, linking the suffering of Boer cattle to the racial struggles in England, where policies and ideologies continue to drag society "nearer to apartheid."

This historical reflection closes the speaker’s "child's fairy tale of an antic England," a reference to an idyllic and pastoral vision of England that is now shattered. The "fairy rings" and "thatched cottages fenced with dog roses" evoke a traditional, almost mythic England, a place of innocence and natural beauty. But this vision is dismantled by the harsh realities of racism and colonialism. The "green gale lifting the hair of Warwickshire" symbolizes the upheaval and disruption of this idyllic landscape, as the speaker’s childhood image of England is replaced by the violence and injustice of its empire.

Walcott’s personal experience is woven into this political landscape, as he reflects on his role in British society: "I was there to add some colour to the British theatre." This line is both literal and metaphorical—Walcott, as a Caribbean writer and poet, was brought into the British cultural sphere to bring diversity, but this inclusion is tinged with irony and tokenism. The phrase "add some colour" highlights the superficial nature of this inclusion, where people of color are welcomed into the cultural sphere but remain marginalized.

The poem addresses the limitations imposed on black actors and writers in British society: "'But the blacks can't do Shakespeare, they have no experience.'" This line critiques the deeply ingrained racism that assumes people of African descent are incapable of understanding or performing canonical Western literature like Shakespeare. The speaker notes that "their thick skulls bled with rancour," reflecting the deep resentment and anger felt by black communities in response to this exclusion. The violence of the "riot police and the skinheads" who "exchanged quips / you could trace to the Sonnets, or the Moor's eclipse" suggests that the language of Shakespeare—often seen as a symbol of high culture—is intertwined with the language of violence and racial hatred. The "Moor's eclipse" refers to Othello, Shakespeare’s tragic black protagonist, whose downfall symbolizes the tragic consequences of racial tensions.

Walcott further explores the idea of being praised into assimilation: "Praise had bled my lines white of any more anger," suggesting that the speaker’s success within white cultural institutions has drained him of his original fury and passion. This "whitening" of his lines reflects the process of cultural assimilation, where the speaker’s anger at injustice has been diluted by the need to conform to the expectations of white audiences. The reference to "snow" inducting him "into white fellowships" emphasizes the erasure of his identity and the isolation he feels within predominantly white institutions.

The poem ends with a powerful image of the decline of the British Empire: "Calibans howled down the barred streets of an empire / that began with Caedmon's raceless dew, and is ending / in the alleys of Brixton, burning like Turner's ships." Caliban, the oppressed figure from Shakespeare’s "The Tempest", symbolizes the colonized and marginalized populations who are now rebelling against the empire that once subjugated them. The reference to "Caedmon's raceless dew" alludes to the Anglo-Saxon poet Caedmon, whose early Christian hymns reflect a time before race became a dividing factor in England’s history. The image of Turner’s burning ships, a reference to J.M.W. Turner’s famous painting "The Fighting Temeraire", symbolizes the decline of British imperial power. Just as Turner’s ships burn in a glorious but fading light, so too does the British Empire, now reduced to riots in the streets of Brixton.

In "Midsummer: 23," Walcott masterfully weaves together natural imagery, historical reflection, and personal experience to create a powerful meditation on race, colonialism, and the decline of empire. Through vivid language and layered symbolism, the poem captures the tension between idealized visions of England and the harsh realities of its imperial legacy, offering a poignant reflection on the struggles of black people within the framework of British society.

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