The Virgins
Derek Walcott (PLACE YOUR HEADER ON YOUR PAPER, COPY POEM AND QUESTIONS. PLACE ALL INFORMATION ALONG WITH ANSWERS ON YOUR STUDENT DRIVE AND WIKI (12TH GRADE-WRITING FOLDER).
Down the dead streets of sun-stoned Frederiksted,
the first free port to die for tourism,
strolling at funeral pace, I am reminded
of life not lost to the American dream;
5 but my small-islander’s simplicities
can’t better our new empire’s civilized
exchange of cameras, watches, perfumes, brandies
for the good life, so cheaply underpriced
that only the crime rate is on the rise
10 in streets blighted with sun, stone arches
and plazas blown dry by the hysteria
of rumor. A condominium drowns
in vacancy; its bargains are dusted,
but only a jeweled housefly drones
15 over the bargains. The roulettes spin
rustily to the wind—the vigorous trade
that every morning would begin afresh
by revving up green water round the pierhead
heading for where the banks of silver thresh.
Making Meanings
The Virgins
First Thoughts
1. Did you find yourself sympathizing with or questioning the speaker’s viewpoint? Explain.
Shaping Interpretations
2. What is the tourist reminded of as he strolls the streets of Frederiksted?
3. How does Walcott ironically represent the “good life” of “the American dream”? How does his picture compare with your ideas of "the American dream" and "progress"?
4. How do you explain line 2? What other images in the poem suggest decay and emptiness?
5. What positive images suggest the island “simplicities” that once existed in Frederiksted?
6. Sum up what you think Walcott is saying about the changes he sees. Who or what is responsible for the changes? Are the changes for the better or for the worse?
Extending the Text
7. Have places within the United States fallen victim to “the American dream” in ways similar to Walcott’s description of Frederiksted? Explain your answer, and discuss your reactions.