Poem
Philodendron
| Title | Philodendron |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Sexton |
Instances of Publication
A published appearance of this poem.
| Collection/Anthology | Year of Publication | Medium | View Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correspondences: An anthology to call for an end to direct provision | 2019 | Print Anthology | View Details |
Publication Instance Details #3193
Collection/Anthology Details
| Collection/Anthology | Correspondences: An anthology to call for an end to direct provision |
|---|---|
| Date of Publication | 2019 |
| Publisher | Stinging Fly Press (Ireland) |
| Page Number(s) | 42 |
Publication Overview
| Translation | Is Multilingual | Explicit Irish Context? | Ekphrasis | Has Paratext? | Reference to News, Media or Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Details
| Human Rights Issues | |
|---|---|
| Languages | |
| Genre | Long (narrative) Poem |
| Medium | Print Anthology |
| Notes | The poem is set in modern day Norway and responds to the visual art created by Hina Khan included in the anthology Correspondences published in Ireland in 2019. It reflects the desperation that leads to forced migration, the hope carried through war and devastation, and the experiences of asylum seekers living in Ireland and Europe. Sexton focuses on the symbol of the philodendron (the name in Greek means literally the love of trees or the trees that love) around which he writes about histories of forced migration, labour, and displacement. The botanological origins of the plant itself allude to a long history of European colonisation to the West Indies, Colombia, and Venezuela where the first genus of philodendron was collected in the 17th century by explorers. The poem refers to prison ships between past and present somewhere in Scandinavia- and the area of Kopardal- where refugees -like modern-day slaves- sleep on quilts of philodendron. |
Is bunachar beo é seo. Entries continue to be updated.