Poem Analysis of Dark August by Derek Walcott

The poem, “Dark August” by Derek Walcott, presents a journey of depression to acceptance, and is an overall great example of the human condition, as it echoes the fact that sadness is key in all of our lives, and the importance in accepting this.

The poem begins with the persona using the simile “so much life like the swollen sky/ on this black August”. August is a summer month, consisting of bright and sunny days, and isn’t “black”. The persona continues that their “sister, the sun” won’t come out; the sun representing their happiness. It is natural for humans to not always find comfort and joy in many situations, including those meant to be joyous. In this excerpt, the persona is clearly referring to the fact that their happiness is nowhere to be found in a time where it is meant to be present. 

As the poem progresses, the persona describes how “Everything goes to hell” and that “she will not rise and turn off the rain”. Naturally, all humans find themselves in very dark situations, and inevitably these situations have a deep emotional effect. People can be so emotionally traumatized and hurt, and all they wish for is for the pain and suffering to cease to exist. They desperately hope for an ounce of happiness in their lives, to rid away any dark emotions, yet that simply cannot happen. Happiness cannot quickly appear and rid humans of all of their troubles, and this is exactly what the persona was referring to in this excerpt; although everything has “gone to hell”, happiness is nowhere in sight to stop the madness. 

Halfway through “Dark August”, the persona experiences an epiphany, one that is key for all human life. They describe, “But I am learning slowly/ to love the dark days”. Nobody’s life is perfect; even those who seem to have it perfect experience rough patches. It’s essentially a part of being human, and just like the persona, it is important for all to accept this. Everyone loves their bright and happy days, as they are joyous moments in life, but it is vital to also love the dark days as well, as they are a part of us that is inescapable and can hold valuable lessons for growth and maturity. The persona also learns to “sip the medicine of bitterness”, which again alludes to the fact that all humans must endure the bitter moments of life, as it can prove to be aidful in the future. 

As the poem reaches an end, the persona reaches acceptance. They state, “I would have learnt to love black days like bright ones”. They come to the conclusion that life has both its ups and downs, and have accepted that it is crucial to love both of these aspects. This is a great lesson for all, as it is natural to find oneself in a depressive state, but it is essential for one to pull oneself out of this state and accept that this is simply part of being human. As the persona ends the poem with, “when once/ I loved only my happiness and you”, they are referring to the fact that they only loved the state of happiness, the “sun”; only the good in their life. This growth from only loving the good to now loving the good and bad reflects upon the human condition of accepting the bitterness and sweetness of life, which is life in its entirety.