Caribbean poetry



Caribbean poetry is any form of poem, rhyme, or song that gets its derivatives from the Caribbean. This type of media became popular primarily in the early 1900s with the works of poets Linton Kwesi Johnson, Kamau Brathwaite, and Derek Walcott.

Origins
The origins of Caribbean poetry lie in countries such as Jamaica and Barbados. These countries have been known as international hot spots for great poetry due to their unique styles, abstract ideas, and the addition of musical instruments to their style. Bongos were added for their emphasis on lyrics, and for their added mood.

Famous Poets
Jamaican poet Claude McKay (1889-1948) was a seminal figure in the Harlem Renaissance in New York City between World War I and World War II. Famous contemporary poets from the Caribbean include Derek Walcott, winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature; Kamau Brathwaite, International Winner of the Sixth Annual Griffin Poetry Prize in 2006; Linton Kwesi Johnson, who became only the second living poet to be published by Penguin Classic series. These poets write primarily about politics, war, and spirituality among other topics. Other notable poets include Anthony Kellman, whose 2008 book Limestone: An Epic Poem of Barbados is the first-ever published epic poem of Barbados, and only the second one to be published in the English Caribbean in the last two centuries. Mahadai Das and Lorna Goodison are other notable poets.