CSI - Glory Trumpeter.

Abby Broadhurst
IB English – Pd. 6
Mr. Jameson
2/25/2013
CSI: “The Glory Trumpeter”
Throughout the poem “The Glory Trumpeter,” the author, Derek Walcott, incorporates
juxtaposition in combination with imagery in order to highlight the bitter and unrecognized
sacrifice that many make in order to support loved ones. This particular poem, which is narrated
by a nephew who presumably remains in Saint Lucia, focuses on the uncle “Old Eddie,” a man
repeatedly portrayed as old and worn down. As the poem develops, it becomes clear that Eddie
is just returning to the island, his homeland, from America, a place where he sought
opportunities to make money that he could send back to the island in order to better his peoples’
lives. His homecoming is not a particularly joyous occasion for Eddie, however, as is evident
through the resentment and bitterness that seems to permeate his very being. Clearly, Eddie’s
homecoming introduces mixed emotions as Eddie, worn down from years of sacrifice and
humility, recognizes the frivolity of his people and the lack of appreciation for what he has done.
This inner conflict is first introduced when the narrator describes Eddie’s eyes as “derisive and
avuncular,” thus presenting the bitterness that is preventing Eddie from fully embracing his
people and his homeland. The denotation and connotation of derisive are negative and indicate a
mocking anger. As the poem continues, it becomes clear that this anger is the result of years of
hard work suffered for others’ benefit. On the other hand, the denotation of avuncular is
significant as it conveys the familial friendly relationship that certainly existed prior to the
uncle’s, Eddie’s, departure. The narrator then continues to employ juxtaposition to highlight
Eddie’s emotions and the impact that his stay in America has had on him. He states that Eddie
could play his trumpet “with the same fury of indifference,/If what propelled such frenzy was
despair.” The use of the word “fury” to enhance Eddie’s difference is once again indicative of
the simmering recognition of his bitter sacrifice. The implication that it is despair that fuels this
indifferent fury is important as it enhances the idea that Eddie’s spirit has burned out and that his
experiences have burdened him to the point that he can no longer be the man he once was as he
has seemingly lost his passion for life. A more subtle instance of juxtaposition is evident in the
third stanza. The returning “compliant men” are described to have “bowed heads,” thus
conveying the subservience required of black laborers in America during the time period in
which this poem takes place. This depressed demeanor is enhanced through imagery of “limp
waiters’ ties” and “lard-colored eyes.” The juxtaposition is evident in the biblical allusion to
Joshua and the wall at the end of the stanza. Just as Joshua managed to shatter the wall of the
city, the peoples’ expectations of a grand homecoming have been shattered. The islanders’
expectation of a grand life in America and their perception of Eddie having good experiences
contrasts to the evident reality of hardship and humility embodied through Eddie’s drastically
changed appearance. It seems that this recognition of false assumptions begins to take form in
the nephew’s mind as he ends the poem relaying how “Eddie turned his back” on his people,
playing his horn in “lonely exaltation.” The imagery emphasizes the “Gulf” that has formed
between Eddie and the islanders who could never truly understand what Eddie has been through.
Additionally, his “lonely exaltation” conveys his isolation in that it is only those remaining in
“Mobile and Galveston” who can truly relate and understand him. This is juxtaposition as it
conveys the irony of the situation; Eddie cannot relate to his people but rather to those men
known only for a short while, met in a foreign country. Walcott masterfully incorporates
juxtaposition through his language and ideas in order to highlight the bitterness of devalued
sacrifice and suffering.

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Abby Broadhurst

CSI: “The Glory Trumpeter”

sacrifice and suffering.

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