20 pages • 40 minutes read
Derek WalcottSabbaths, WI
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“The Sea Is History” by Derek Walcott (2007)
Another poem by Derek Walcott, “The Sea Is History” uses Christian imagery to tell the story of Black enslavement and liberation. Like “Sabbaths, W.I.,” the poem includes both religion and nature.
“from Mesongs” by Kamau Brathwaite (2010)
Kamau Brathwaite is another notable Black poet from the Caribbean. Brathwaite’s poetry has been said to be stylistically similar to the works of T. S. Elliot. As a contemporary of Walcott’s, his work often shows consideration of similar themes. The linked poem and “Sabbath’s, W.I.” both include similar comparisons of Catholic structures and the natural world, as well as the lives of humans.
“The Woman and the Flame” by Aimé Césaire (1948)
Aimé Césaire helped define and expand, if not initiate, the Négritude movement in arts and literature, which spanned from the 1930s to 50s and spoke out against French colonialism. Césaire’s works provide a Francophone view of the Caribbean.
“The Dead” by Nancy Morejón (2014)
This is Pamela Carmell’s English translation of Nancy Morejón’s Spanish poem. Morejón is another Caribbean poet; she is from Cuba. Caribbean poetry is written in a variety of languages, which speaks to the colonization of the area by the English, French, and Spanish.
Further Literary Resources
“Derek Walcott, the Art of Poetry No. 37” by Edward Hirsch (1986)
This wide-ranging interview with the poet delves into many subjects found in “Sabbaths, W.I.” These include the poet’s upbringing and interactions with Catholicism, his relationship to his family and art, and his experiences of observing St. Lucia.
“Caribbean Artists Remember Poet Derek Walcott” by Elizabeth Flock (2017)
This collection of memorials and quotes by other poetic luminaries illustrates the esteem in which Derek Walcott was held. The article also includes response poems and elegies to Walcott, demonstrating the influence of his style and breadth of work on modern poets, writers, and artists.
Derek Walcott Gallery (hosted by the June Kelly Gallery)
This collection of digitally-hosted paintings by the poet provide visuals for some of the scenes described in Walcott’s poetry. Walcott’s paintings in this gallery feature saturated, high-contrast scenes of coastal life in the West Indies.
This website, supported by the Walcott estate, provides new and ongoing information about Walcott’s work, including gallery showings, performances, and prizes supported by his legacy. The site showcases other works by Walcott, and provides context about the ongoing project of art in the West Indies.
Related Titles
By Derek Walcott
