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 …
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Citation: Baugh, Edward . "The Prodigal: A Poem". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 May 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24673, accessed 31 October 2024.]
