Blues Summary

BLUES – DEREK WALCOTT

Derek Walcott (1930-2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992 besides he received many literary awards over the course of his career. In this poem Blues Walcott addresses the phenomenon of black male existence in the mid to late 20th Century US, through the symbolic code of blues (Black). 

Racism in the US comprises negative attitudes and views on race or ethnicity. It has been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices and actions including violence at various times. The poem is an interesting attempt addressing the racism and violence of American against other races. It went on the details of racism and it’s after effects. It is an autobiographical poem that the poet himself was being assaulted brutally by a group of Americans on a particular night as he surpasses into their region unknowingly. A group of five or six young guys were standing there in an attitude of pride or arrogance that the land belongs to them. It was a night time and they called the poet by whistling. So he stopped there in the street which confused him either it was MacDougal Or Christopher as it was filled with chains of light. 

The street was decorated to celebrate a summer festival or for some Saint’s commemoration. The poet wasn’t much away from his home and he was known to be a nigger and not good place for a black guy like him and also he would be easily identified by other people. The poet says that he wasn’t too far from him home that means his country is so close to America and “he was not too bright for a bigger and not too dark “ in which he gives his physical appearance that he is neither too obvious to be nigger(black) nor too black. Discrimination in the US permeates all aspects of life and extends to all communities of colour. For them, other race people are same whomever they may be either Asian, Black or Jew. Besides it was not the Central Park where people can get freedom security. 

As soon as he realized that he got stuck in a wrong place they started beating him very severely. He was helpless and never reacted except keeping his new olive green sports coat away from damage hanging on a fire plug. They created a great mess there. 

The poet was brutally attacked by the angry mob and he was bleeding however he was happy that his newly bought sports jacket was saved from damage. He was unable to walk as he was crawling on his four upstairs. When he sprawled in the sewer he observed few people were watching all the happening and one among them called the guys telling them that is enough. 

For them it wasn’t so serious or strange thing that happened first time as she says, “It’s nothing really” and added further that “they wouldn’t kill you. Just playing rough, like young Americans will”. This shows that this kind of treatment on the black is quite normal that persistent issue over there. Finally he sarcastically ends up telling that incident taught him something about love. The racism can’t be eradicated completely from the country and we should try to adjust to the prevailed conditions but still it haunts, he advises people to forget about it. Thus, Americans’ perceptions of the race situation in US society have not improved over recent decades and in many instances have become more negative. The only way to be stress free is to get accustomed to the persistence as the poet suggests.