This document provides context and analysis of the poem "Nearing Forty" by Derek Walcott. It discusses how the poem depicts a poet nearing age 40 listening to the rain and feeling the cold, which reminds him of his advancing age. As he ages, the poet sees his early writings and imagination differently and fears what will happen to his poetic skills and style as he gets older. Themes of the poem include aging, changing perspectives, and accepting the inevitable effects of time on one's abilities.

1. NEARING FORTY
BY DEREK WALCOTT

2.  About the AUTHOR
 Sir Derek Walcott was a saint Lucian poet and play write his works
includes the Homeric epic poem , onerous , which many critics view ‘’as
Walcott's major achievements.’’ and he received the 1992 Nobel prize in
literature.

3.  Nearing forty by Derek Walcott describes how age blurs a poets vision
and bends his poetic imagination.
 nearing forty by Derek Walcott presents an insomniac poetic persona
who is listening to the sound of rainfall . The cold wind due to the
rainfall ,makes him shiver. This sensation reminds him of his age

4.  A big number s that can turn a poets world upside down. He starts to
think of his early writings as ‘’ the black modesty of middle age;
moreover according to the poet age brings cynicism in a poets mind his
eyes start to weaken and his imagination become gloomy apart from
that in the poem he converses with a person who is also nearing his
forty. The poet states how the person thought in earlier days and what
is going to happen with his imagination after reaching forty years .

5.  It also makes the poem an example of dramatic monologue. It describes
how age blurs a poetic vision and bends his poetic imagination.

6.  In this poem the poet talks about old age that changes both the
 Nearing forty by Derek Walcott is a lyric that is addressed to john
Figueroa, a Jamaican poet.

7.  The poem is not a poem that only centres on the life of Figueroa its
an expression of a poet who is nearing 40 years , and how his mind
floods with the thoughts of present and past.

8.  Its an hourglass that remains the poet about the time still lift. And the
things that can not return . Age in this poem . The poet refers to this
unavoidable changes that is natural and pathetic as well.

9.  Themes
 The main themes of this poem are aging, realisations, fear, cynicism, and
acceptance.
 An important overarching theme of this poem is poetry writing, and poetic
ability and style.

10. NANDINI.M
2nd year,
M.A in English,
Bengaluru North University,
Mangasandra P.G center.
6361443150
nandinim2601@gmail.com

11. THANK YOU