Compare the methods that two poets use in their poems to explore the past.
In ‘Island Man’ by Grace Nichols and ‘Vultures’ by Chinua Achebe, the past is referred to in very different ways, both in terms of the ways in which it is presented and the way the poets seem to feel about it. In ‘Island Man’, the past is something that has become idealised. The Island Man is homesick for the things in the Caribbean that he most misses, namely the ‘sound of the blue surf’, ‘the wild sea birds’ and ‘the sun breaking defiantly’ on ‘the small emerald island’. The way in which the Caribbean Island is described sounds much like something out of a travel brochure, conjuring images of unspoilt beaches, abundant wildlife and pleasant weather, contrasting vividly with the ‘grey metallic soar’ of the London North Circular which seems to indicate traffic jams of people on their way to work. It’s actually unlikely that life on a Caribbean Island is as perfect as it’s depicted or that London is as unpleasant as the ‘dull roar’ of the traffic sounds. The fact that Nichols uses a dream to present the past of the Island Man is significant as it underlines the idealistic nature of the vision. When people look back on the past, it is perhaps fortunate that on the whole we remember more good things than bad. The scene painted of the Caribbean island appears to be a fond reminiscence.
