'The undisputed masterpiece of négritude and a poetic milestone of anti-colonialism' Guardian
'We shall speak. We shall sing. We shall shout.'
This blazing autobiographical poem by the founder of the négritude movement became a rallying cry for decolonisation when it appeared in 1939. Following one man's return from Europe to his homeland of Martinique, it is a reckoning with the trauma of slavery and exploitation, and a triumphant anthem for Black identity, one which reclaims and remakes language itself.
'Nothing less than the greatest lyrical monument of this time' André Breton
'A Césaire poem explodes and whirls about itself like a rocket, suns burst forth whirling and exploding' Jean-Paul Sartre
'The most influential Francophone Caribbean writer of his generation' Independent
Translated by John Berger and Anna Bostock
| ISBN: | 9780241535394 |
| Publication date: | 13th June 2024 |
| Author: | Aimé Césaire |
| Publisher: | Penguin Classics an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 80 pages |
| Series: | Penguin Modern Classics |
| Genres: |
Modern and contemporary poetry (c 1900 onwards) Ethnic groups and multicultural studies Poetry by individual poets Memoirs Narrative theme: Identity / belonging |