Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Derek Walcott's "Homer in the Underground" imagines the legendary Greek poet Homer navigating the modern, gritty landscape of London, in a way that blends the ancient with the contemporary. The poem is both a tribute to the endurance of classical art and an exploration of how mythic figures and stories resonate in the midst of a busy, indifferent city. Through vivid, often surreal imagery, Walcott transports the reader between Homer’s ancient world and the bustling urban setting, using Homer as a lens to critique and reflect upon London’s history, its colonial past, and its present realities.

In the first section, Walcott describes Homer emerging from "Charing Cross," a major underground station in London, into the summer light. The description of Homer is larger-than-life, almost mythic: "the nose, like a pharos," references a lighthouse guiding lost ships, a symbol of Homer’s role as a guide through the world of epic poetry. Yet, despite this grandness, Homer is also worn and human. His clothes are tattered, his shoes mismatched, and his "scrofulous claw" clutches his manuscript—an emblem of his literary genius, but also of the struggle to hold onto it. The juxtaposition of his mythic aura with his decrepit physical state reflects how classical art, though revered, is often marginalized in the modern world.

The section continues with Homer moving through the city, his voice described as a "winch," suggesting it has the power to pull or lift heavy burdens, much like his poetry has done for centuries. His presence disrupts the ordinary rhythm of city life—he is an ancient relic in a fast-paced modern world. The imagery of London’s iconic locations, from Trafalgar Square to St. Martin-in-the-Fields, blends with Homer’s epic legacy. The church-warden who confronts Homer is like a petty guardian of the city’s cultural institutions, a figure more concerned with appearances than with the deeper truths that Homer represents. The warden’s actions reflect society’s superficial engagement with art, more interested in preserving decorum than understanding or honoring the substance behind the myths.

In the second section, Walcott continues to juxtapose ancient and modern, with Homer now resting on a bench along the Embankment. The bargeman, a metaphor for Homer, sees the "grime" beneath London’s grandeur, much as Homer’s epics reveal the underlying truths of human existence beneath the veneer of heroism. The imagery of the Thames, with its "ankle-irons," suggests that even the river, a symbol of natural flow and continuity, is constrained by the weight of history and empire. The poem moves fluidly between these layers of meaning, as the bargeman muses on the passing of time and the persistence of ancient knowledge in a city shaped by imperialism and capitalism.

The ginkgo tree, with its "fluent alphabet," becomes a symbol of the natural world’s resilience and continuity, in contrast to the artificiality of the city. Homer, even in his dilapidated state, still "reads" the city with the insight of a poet, understanding the "inverted names of boats" and the "coins of their wake" as symbols of a decaying empire. The statues and monuments around him, meant to commemorate and immortalize the past, become transient and meaningless in the face of the larger forces of time and nature. The idea that "the sunflower sets after all" hints at the inevitable decline of even the most powerful empires, as London, Rome, and Greece—all referenced here—are subject to the same fate.

In the third section, Walcott asks existential questions about history, progress, and power. The poem’s rhythm quickens as it moves through these questions: "Who decrees a great epoch? The meridian of Greenwich." This line alludes to how Britain, through the establishment of Greenwich Mean Time, sought to impose its will on the world, defining time and space according to its own measures. But the poem critiques this colonial mindset, pointing out the arbitrary nature of such power, asking, "Where is the light of the world?" The answer—"In the National Gallery. / In Palladian Wren"—is an indictment of how art and culture have been commodified, owned, and controlled by institutions that serve the wealthy and powerful, rather than the people.

The poem ends with an image of the "sickle sovereign," a reference to the British coin and symbol of power, peeling the gilt from St. Paul’s, one of London’s most iconic landmarks. This final image emphasizes the poem’s themes of decline and disillusionment. The grandeur of empire and power is ultimately fragile, subject to the same forces of decay as anything else. The "white sail cresting the gradual swell of the Downs" contrasts sharply with the darkness of the coal shadows, symbolizing both the remnants of imperial power and the coming challenges of the future.

In "Homer in the Underground", Walcott masterfully blends classical references with modern urban life to create a richly layered poem that critiques the imperial legacy of London while celebrating the enduring power of myth and poetry. Homer, as both a figure of the past and a witness to the present, becomes a vehicle for exploring how history, art, and power intersect in the modern world. Through his vivid imagery and thoughtful meditations, Walcott reveals the fragility of empires and the enduring relevance of ancient wisdom in understanding the complexities of the present.

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