Omeros

Omeros is an epic poem by Derek Walcott , sometimes considered his main work. Published in 1990 . Not completely translated into Russian, there is only a translation of several fragments, made by Alla Sharapova .

The poem is written in a non-rhymed stanza resembling tercines . It consists of three books, each of which is divided into chapters. There are 64 chapters in the poem. Each chapter consists of three parts.

The poem is a rough account of Homer's Odyssey , transferred from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean . The text is full of allusions to the text of Homer ^[1] , starting with the name of the poem and the names of the main characters: the fishermen Achilles , Hector , the impoverished Filoquette , the beautiful servant Elena .

The action begins linearly and initially takes place in Saint Lucia , but then it is divided into many plot branches, part of which takes place in Africa, the USA and even the 17th century Netherlands. The protagonists of the poem are Achilles and retired Major Plunkett, although part of the text comes from the third person, and part from the first. The scene and storyline can vary even within the same chapter, between its various parts.

The main storylines are as follows:

• The rivalry between Achilles and Hector for Elena and the death of Hector, who dies in a car accident.
• The story of Major Plunkett and his wife Maud, who after the war chose Saint Lucia as their place of residence and had to adapt to her lifestyle. During the first line, both of them are already old; the poem describes the death of Maud.
• A line associated with a narrator who narrates his travels.

Lines plot intersect. So, Elena has been working as a servant for some time at Plunkett, and the narrator is familiar with Achilles and Hector.