Each one can easily stand on its own, but together they form a natural sequence of memories and contemplations.Īt times, Walcott’s obsession with the effects of age runs the risk of becoming too personal, or even self-indulgent. In his poem “In Italy,” in which he speaks of his experience in Italy as an elderly man, he writes, “my hair rhymes with those far crests and the bells / of the hilltop towers number my errors.” Walcott’s repetitious images of whiteness create a lyrical continuity among his poems. In his constant encounters with objects washed in white, Walcott is trying to create a kind of visual rhyme. The birds, part of a natural cycle, return annually, seemingly unchanged, while the personalities around him disappear year by year: “Some friends, the few I have left / are dying, but the egrets stalk through the rain / as if nothing mortal can affect them, or they lift / like abrupt angels, sail, then settle again.” Elsewhere, he himself identifies with the birds, comparing his own white hair to the birds’ white feathers.Įven when Walcott is not explicitly contemplating the process of aging, whiteness saturates his vision he notices the white shore, white ferries, white wine, the “white scream” of birds, and even the whiteness of the page as his poem comes to a close. In one instance, the birds become symbols of immortality as Walcott contemplates the inevitable mortality of himself and his friends. “White Egrets” is aptly named images of the splendid birds are scattered throughout the collection. As he explores a wide array of memories and places, the poet attempts to come to terms with his recollections of the past and the effects of age upon his body and mind. “White Egrets” is composed of a sequence of poems that range in subject from Walcott’s travels in Italy and Spain to his former love affairs. Far from it, he writes in characteristically powerful verse, maintaining a pulsing rhythm and forceful voice throughout his collection. He writes, “If it is true that my gift has withered, that there’s little left of it, / if this man is right, then there’s nothing left to do / but abandon poetry like a woman because you love it / and would not see her hurt, least of all by me.”īut despite his evident misgivings, Walcott is in no danger of harming the craft of poetry. Although Derek Walcott-who turned eighty this past January-is a Nobel Laureate and the author of over twenty published volumes of poetry, the dread of losing his poetic ability permeates “White Egrets,” his newest collection. The deterioration of poetic talent must be one of the greatest fears of an aging poet. Yeats’ style evolved and improved throughout his long career Wordsworth composed his greatest works in his youth, but continued writing through his old age. Despite his numbers, there was always a sense among the fans that he never quite did enough.Every poetic career follows a different trajectory. Walcott moved on from the club, transferring to Everton in 2018. To put things into perspective, Walcott scored just 12 goals less for the club than Dennis Bergkamp did, playing 26 games less. He even surpassed Thierry Henry in appearances, the Frenchman making 377. His 65 league goals for Arsenal also make him the sixth highest goalscorer in the club's Premier League history. He was also a surprise inclusion in England's 2006 World Cup squad despite not yet featuring in the Premier League.īy 2008, the winger had also become the youngest player in history to score a hat-trick for England and has since scored eight goals 47 international appearances.ĭuring his 12 years at the club, Walcott scored an impressive 108 goals in 397 games in all competitions, making him the club's joint 15th all-time top scorer. In the same year, the teenager became the youngest player to ever represent England's senior team. Theo Walcott arrived at Arsenal aged 16-years-old in an initial £5m deal from Southampton in 2006. Regardless, taking a look at Walcott's exquisite piece of individual skill, a question arises: Is he one of Arsenal's most underrated player in their Premier League history? His substitute heroics were ultimately futile, however, Liverpool with two late goals to run out 4-2 winners, 5-3 on aggregate. In what seems like a lifetime ago, Theo Walcott provided one of the greatest assists in Champions League history against rivals Liverpool exactly 12 years ago.Īged just 19-years-old, the inexplicably speedy winger collected the ball on the edge of his own box, subsequently running the entire length of the pitch before feeding Emmanuel Adebayor to finish.
0 kommentar(er)
