Jamaica has a vibrant literary scene that includes many notable poets. One of the most well-known Jamaican poets is Louise Bennett, who was known for her use of Jamaican Patois in her work. Bennett’s poetry celebrated Jamaican culture and identity and was instrumental in promoting Jamaican literature.
The 1950s and 1960s saw the emergence of the Rastafari movement, which greatly influenced Jamaican poetry. Rastafarian poets like Linton Kwesi Johnson and Mutabaruka used their poetry to critique social and political issues and call for change.
In recent years, Jamaican poets like Kei Miller, Claudia Rankine, and Ishion Hutchinson have gained widespread acclaim for their powerful works that explore themes of identity, culture, and history. The spoken word scene in Jamaica is also thriving, with events like the Poetry Society of Jamaica’s monthly open mic sessions providing a platform for emerging poets to share their work.
‘Little Boy Crying’ by Mervynn Morris describes the emotions of a child who is struck by his father for playing in the rain.
Your mouth contorting in brief spite and hurt,
your laughter metamorphosed into howls,
your frame so recently relaxed now tight
with three year old frustration, your bright eyes
‘Marrysong’ by Dennis Scott describes the relationship between a husband and wife whose relationship is constantly shifting.
He never learned her, quite. Year after year
that territory, without seasons, shifted
under his eye. An hour he could be lost
in the walled anger of her quarried hurt
‘Plants’ by Olive Senior is a unique free verse poem that describes the deceptiveness of plants. It uses irony and humor to suggest that plants are trying to take over the world.
Plants are deceptive. You see them there
looking as if once rooted they know
their places; not like animals, like us
always running around, leaving traces.
In ‘The Mariner’s Progress,’ amidst shifting landscapes, souls lift and fall, echoing life’s transient beauty, ancestry’s embrace, and enduring legacy.
“With never a whisper on the main,” so the snow falls,
glaring through the festschrift of acacia leaves
at sunrise and seeping a dye of immortelle
on mild fleece, shrinking back eternity
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