Olive Senior 'Gardens in the Tropics' with CAPE students

Sixth-formers and their teachers in western Jamaica were treated to an engaging session focused on 'Gardening in the Tropics' with Olive Senior, who hails from Troy, Trelawny. The Department of Literatures in English of the University of the West Indies, Mona, in collaboration with the Western Jamaica Campus (WJC), hosted the event at WJC in Montego Bay on Wednesday, January 15, for students sitting CAPE Literatures in English.

Dr Michael Bucknor, head of the Department of Literatures in English, welcomed all to the session and reminded everyone of the significant and distinguished work Senior had done in Caribbean literature. Dr Luz Longsworth, the clearly delighted director of the Western Campus, welcomed all and, like Dr Bucknor, found heaping praises on the poet irresistible.

Senior, who opened her session by expressing her delight for the opportunity to interact with students and teachers, spoke about the motivation for some of her work. She emphasised that our identity as a people was at the heart of her work, and implored students and teachers to see the poems in the collection, Gardening in the Tropics, as separate yet interconnected. Helpful ideas such as her poems working with the central metaphor of gardening as vehicle to "exploring all kinds of things" were addressed.

question-and-answer session

Even more engaging was her question-and-answer session in which students questioned her about some of her poems. They sought to get the poet's interpretation of her work and looked at ways in which to apply the information to their own studies. Many students were delighted with the opportunity to speak one-on-one with her, and she was receptive to their ideas and encouraged them to write and explore their world in meaningful ways.

Senior graciously expressed her gratitude for having the privilege of engaging those studying her work. She ended the session with readings of such poems as 'Meditation on Yellow', 'All Clear, 1928', 'Tropic Love', and 'The Knot Garden'.