"This varied collection surveys Caribbean verse in English from the eighteenth century to the modern age. Anonymous slave songs stand as a powerful celebration of the independent spirit, while many early poets follow European epic verse forms in their depictions of the Caribbean landscape or the tragic effects of slavery. Poets of our time capture the vitality of the spoken word, in styles ranging from the works of the Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott and Edward Kamau Brathwaite to the pioneering vernacular idiom of Louise Bennett. The critical influence of music can also be seen here in the 'blues' poems of Una Marson, the lyrics of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, and the works of dub poets such as Linton Kwesi Johnson." "In her introduction, Paula Burnett discusses the richly interwoven oral and literary traditions of Caribbean verse. This edition also includes biographical and explanatory notes, a glossary and an index of poets."--BOOK JACKET.