The Schooner Flight

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1979

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Related Poems

The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot (1922)

Walcott cites T. S. Eliot as an important literary influence of his, and no poem more typifies Eliot than his masterpiece The Waste Land. While the long, symbolic modern epic bears numerous similarities to Walcott’s poem, its first section, “I. The Burial of the Dead,” is most relevant to “Flight.” Many of Shabine’s allusions to Eliot concern this opening passage.

“For the Union Dead” by Robert Lowell (1960)

Another important influence on Walcott’s work, Robert Lowell was also a friend of the Caribbean poet. While this poem is starkly different from Walcott’s own style, its focus on history, the violence of the past, and racial tensions makes it relevant to Walcott’s work and to “The Schooner Flight” in particular.

“The Star-Apple Kingdom” by Derek Walcott (1979)

This long poem is the titular work of the book in which Walcott also first published “The Schooner Flight.” Similar to “Flight,” “The Star-Apple Kingdom” deals with Caribbean history, colonialism, language, nature, and violence. It is similarly long and stuffed with both beauty and horrors, and it is similarly characterized by surprising imagery.

Further Literary Resources

“The Art of Poetry No. 37” interviewed by Edward Hirsch (1986)

This installment of The Paris Review’s legendary interview series sees Walcott interviewed by Edward Hirsch, an important poet in his own right. The interview covers Walcott’s childhood, his relationship to religion, his literary influences, and his poetics. While long for an interview, the full text is available free online and short enough to read in a single sitting.

Derek Walcott: A Caribbean Life by Bruce King (2000)

This first biography of Walcott is an important resource for understanding the poet’s life. King explores Walcott’s family, religious, and cultural backgrounds, paying attention to his literary texts as he details the contexts of Walcott’s life.

Between Fury and Peace: The Many Arts of Derek Walcott edited by Askold Melnyczuk (2022)

This text collects numerous essays and recollections from many of Walcott’s friends and colleagues, including Carolyn Forché and Kate Snodgrass. The book explores many aspects of Walcott’s poetry, playwriting, teaching, and even painting, as well as recollections on his life. For a somewhat more personal analysis of this important 20th-century poet, this collection of essays is invaluable.

Listen to Poem

Derek Walcott reads a selection of his poetry

While there are no high-quality recordings on the internet of either Walcott or anyone else reading “The Schooner Flight,” this recording of nearly an hour demonstrates the gravitas and rhythm Walcott brings to his texts in his own voice. Walcott gave this reading at the Library of Congress’ Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, DC as part of an event sponsored by the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Poetry and Literature Fund in 1986.