Paulette Ramsay
Lecturer
Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy
UWI, Mona

Literary, Cultural and Historical Confrontation: Liberation and Self Definition in the Poetry of the Afro-Cuban Jesús Cos Causse

This essay draws from the broad theoretical context of post-colonial criticism to examine a distinctive feature of Cos Causse’s literary oeuvre which involves the exploration of literary, cultural and historical connections which the poet shares with other diasporan blacks and Caribbean countries. The thesis developed is that through the exploration of these connections the poet develops poetry of oppositionality by presenting new models which inform the definition of self. Indeed, the poet liberates himself and redefines his culture, history and literary tradition, thereby creating a new liberated identity.