Elegguas

More about the book

Focusing on themes of death and cultural heritage, this collection of poems serves as a tribute to the departed, intertwining modernist and post-modernist influences. Brathwaite draws on diverse traditions, from Rilke to Jamaican kumina, to explore communication with the dead. His work is politically charged, honoring figures like Walter Rodney, while experimenting with language through unique syntax and graphic representation. The use of Sycorax fonts and intentional linguistic deviations reflects the historical and emotional turbulence present in his poetry, making this a powerful continuation of his earlier work.