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10 cze 20213 minut(y) czytania

Between London and Trinidad


As Robert Robinson wrote in his manifesto - ‘Ordinary poems won’t change the world’. In the work ‘Success is on you’, the artist presents how to achieve your goals as a poet. Although he focuses on the specific job, many of the hints are universal. It all is a matter of hard work, practise, but also learning to stand up after failures.


Roger Robinson is not only an acclaimed educator, lecturer and musician, but first and foremost a poet. Being born in England, he returned there at the age of nineteen. He spent his childhood in Trinidad with his parents who instilled in him the love for literature. It was especially his mother, an exceptional storyteller, who inspired Robinson’s poetry. Moving to the United Kingdom, he initially lived in Essex, but it was Brixton that he found the most “congenial”. Later in his life, the poet considered returning to his country of origin, but eventually stayed in London. He perceives himself as ‘a British resident with a Trini sensibility’.

Both Trinidad and the UK are represented in ‘A Portable Paradise’ which received prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize, as well as the Ondaatje Prize for a work that best ‘evokes spirit of a place’. Constituting Robinson’s most recognized work, it focuses on life in London, but also refers to Trinidad. His country of origin has a recurrent presence at the end of each section of the collection as a paradise with ‘white sands, green hills and fresh fish’. Longing for this place is confronted with many issues, such as slavery or racial discrimination. He recreates also feelings of loss and despair while taking about the Grenfell Tower fire. However, having a prematurely born son himself, he also expresses his gratefulness to the National Health Service for saving his child. It is directed especially towards a Jamaican nurse in the poem ‘Grace’ for her dedication, perseverance and faith. It is one of the most touching and emotional pieces in the collection.


It is worth mentioning that many of Robinson’s works, inspired by his own life, refer to London and Trinidad. For example, ‘The Butterfly Hotel’, a work divided into three sections, talks about Brixton, travelling while being an emigrant, and home in Trinidad. The collection is linked by recurrent figure of a butterfly and its transformation.

I highly encourage you to read some of Robinson’s poetry. Being accessible for everyone, his works have the ability to transmit emotions. They reflect feelings, impressions and dreams. They touch upon some very serious and painful themes while also showing hope and gratitude. As Roger Robinson has written we should long to ‘make Earth feel like Paradise’.


Sources:

  • Robinson, R. (2020) A Portable Paradise. Leeds: Peepal Tree Press.



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