Schooner Flight

The Schooner Flight by Walcott is a complex idiom which at it heart concern racial and colonial identity. In the poem Walcott recounts the unflattering ambition of Sabine to escape the societal ills before it “poison his soul”.Shabine the central narrator of the poem gives an objective first person account of his personal frustrations and agonizing dilemma which cause him to assiduous embark on his metaphoric sailor’s journey as a means of escape. Even though the poem seems slight on the surface level, it however, explores some philosophical and historical issues that affect all West Indian People, since we share the common history of colonization. Walcott highlights the ponderous theme of “Journeying” as a means of escape from emotional, societal and psychological tribulations. At the end of the poem Walcott’s Sabine is able to piece together all the elements which contribute to his greater understanding of self.
To illuminate his poetic concerns Walcott/Sabine uses the symbol of the sea and a schooner as a medium to petition his poetic platform. Sabine divulges that “when [he] write this poem, each phrase go be soaked in salt; I go draw and knot every line as tight as ropes in this rigging; in simple speech my common language go be the wind. My pages the sails of the schooner flight.” Ostensibly, this depiction effectively draws on his intention of crating his poem in such manner that it gives support and transform people. He intends to let his simple words be like the wind which spreads and refreshes people; he also wants his words to enlighten people. His common language (the local vernacular mixed with standard) must resonate, awakens, transforms and inspires readers. The pages of the poem the sail which is the element that propels the movement just as the schooner is propel by the wind and the sail.
Further, the image of sea is also used as a symbol of Sabine’s present instability he faces. Hence, Sabine taking on the persona of a sailor and journeys to...