Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Derek Walcott’s "Parang" blends raw Caribbean vernacular with a reflective tone, capturing the vivid contrasts between youthful desire and the wisdom of old age. The poem opens with the speaker's disdain for "croptime fiddlers" and "wailing, kiss-me-arse flutes," highlighting his frustration with the romanticized lies embedded in traditional music. The act of "suck[ing] me tooth" is a physical expression of exasperation, setting the stage for the speaker's lamentation over lost time and youthful foolishness. The tone is intimate and conversational, but beneath the surface lies a profound meditation on the fleeting nature of desire and love.

The speaker reflects on his youthful indulgence in fêtes (parties), where, entranced by music and celebration, he wasted time chasing after fleeting pleasures. His "red-eyed rage" speaks to the bitterness that accompanies this realization, as desire has morphed into regret. The speaker now understands that the truth he unknowingly sang about at parang (a traditional music style in the Caribbean) and la commette (likely another reference to celebratory or festival music) was fleeting and elusive, much like the love he once pursued.

The contrast between youth and old age becomes more pronounced as the speaker acknowledges that the romantic tunes he once believed in were no more permanent than the cyclical phases of the moon. "Since Adam catch body-fever" emphasizes the primal and universal nature of desire, linking his personal experiences to the mythological past. The reference to Adam suggests that love and lust are as old as humanity itself, but the speaker now perceives them as part of a larger, inevitable cycle of waxing and waning.

As an older man, the speaker has gained a deeper understanding of love’s transience. He recognizes that while the young "crop" of men may still be consumed by passion, he himself is no longer physically or emotionally entangled in the same way. The line "But I know 'do more' from 'don't' / Since the grave cry out 'Make haste!'" speaks to the urgency of life as it nears its end. The wisdom he has acquired over time is tinged with an awareness of mortality, and he urges others to hasten before it’s too late.

The "banjo world" metaphor encapsulates the simplicity and inevitability of human existence. The world, like a banjo with only one string, plays a singular, repetitive tune: that of love, loss, and regret. This idea is further explored as the speaker reflects on how love is always something distant and unattainable, "a place in the bush / With music grieving from far." The imagery of music grieving from a distance adds a melancholic layer to the poem, suggesting that love is often accompanied by sorrow, and its beauty is ephemeral.

The final stanza brings the poem full circle, as the speaker critiques how young men "bring love to disgrace" by reducing it to "remorseful, regretful words." The idea that "flesh upon flesh was the tune" reminds us that love has always been rooted in physical desire, dating back to the primal moment when "the first cloud raise up to disclose / The breast of the naked moon." This powerful image ties love to the natural world and its cycles, but it also hints at the futility of trying to preserve it in words or music.

"Parang" captures the tension between youthful indulgence and the sobering wisdom of age. Walcott’s speaker reflects on the inevitable decline of passion and the transition from desire to regret, acknowledging the universality of this experience. Through his vivid language, rich in Caribbean dialect and mythological references, Walcott transforms a personal reflection into a meditation on love, time, and the human condition.

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