Inspired by Calypso music, this poem is as much a song as it is a social and political commentary. The rhymes and repetition add to the rhythm of the poem, which is meant to resemble Calypso music. The fourth portion draws a contrast in the lyrics between lines that would be seen in many traditional Caribbean songs versus the heavy tourism plaguing the islands as well as the lack of opporunities to leave the island and make a better life elsewhere.
CItation:
tatiana1larina. “Kamau Brathwaite – ‘Calypso.’” Reading The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 30 Jan. 2024, readingnorton.wordpress.com/2024/01/31/kamau-brathwaite-calypso/.
“Calypso.” Calypso by Kamau Brathwaite - Poetry Atlas, www.poetryatlas.com/poetry/poem/2631/calypso.html. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.