Barabajan Poems, published in 1994, is the first in a series of books that look back on Brathwaite’s life and work, identifying influences and key experiences that shaped his poetry and thinking. It was followed by ConVERSations with Nathaniel Mackey (1999), MR (2002), and Golokwati 2000 (2002). Part autobiography and part poetic manifesto, Barabajan Poems is centred on the poet’s childhood in Barbados, his family, his life as a student in Cambridge, as well as his years working for the Ministry of Education in Ghana and the revolution in his poetic vision which the encounter with Africa engendered. In addition to the autobiographical narrative, Brathwaite uses his poetry up to Sun Poem (…
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Citation: Otto, Melanie. "Barabajan Poems". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 May 2012 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=32309, accessed 25 November 2024.]