Derek Walcott, The Prodigal: A Poem

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The Prodigal

continues Walcott’s exploration of the long narrative poem, a journey which had begun with

Another Life

(1973) and had continued, taking new directions, with

Omeros

(1990) and

Tiepolo’s Hound

(2000).

Another Life

is an autobiography, the story of the making of the poet and painter on his native island in his early life. The subsequent narrative poems have a strong component of autobiography, with

The Prodigal

returning more comprehensively to that genre. It is itself a story of journeys and returns, its basic trajectory tracing journeys of the poet in the outside world and his return to his island home. The physical journeys also involve journeys of the imagination and journeys into memory; they constitute an attempt to define his poetic location and identity. The main…

2330 words

Citation: Baugh, Edward . "The Prodigal: A Poem". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 May 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24673, accessed 19 March 2024.]

24673 The Prodigal: A Poem 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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