Homer and St. Lucia in "Omeros"

Paper Summary:

The paper begins by giving a background on the island of St Lucia, in an attempt to gain an understanding of Omeros's connections to both this island and to Homeric notions. It looks at the clash between the English and the French in the poem, as represented by the fight between Achilles and Hector. This symbolism is explored, as are the parallels between Walcott's and Homer's writings. It then looks at additional metaphors introduced by Walcott himself, over and above those based on Homer's work, and at the evidence in the poem of Walcott's personal opinions about the changing state of his home island, St. Lucia.

From the Paper:

"Omeros, written by Walcott, can be defined as a classical story. Within the epic, there are various references to Homer as well as a display of writing that is reflective of Homer's style. Furthermore, the use of the Homeric character names from Homer's epics The Illiad and The Odyssey also serve to prove the distinct ties between Omeros and Homer. While there are similarities, Walcott's writing displays more than simply classical Homeric notions. Walcott's masterpiece also displays his own thoughts, although his story is laced with Homeric notions. These thoughts of Walcott's focus on the island of St Lucia, which helps to distinguish Omeros from classical Homeric writing. St. Lucia happened to be the home of the author Walcott, so his ties to this island are apparent. As a result, Walcott focuses on the history of this island alongside Homeric tradition. In Omeros, Walcott uses classical Homeric methods of storytelling in order to tell a tale of something Homer never wrote about, Walcott's island of St. Lucia."

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