Limestone: An Epic Poem of Barbados

The island of Barbados is the central character is this epic poem, which combines narrative development, historical insight, and traditional folk sounds to tell the story of the island from the time of early Amerindians to the present day. Anthony Kellman invents his own Tuk verse forms that include the three-line tercet verse form, rhymed couplets in tetrameter, and rhythmic patterns of the snare drum. These provide a cadence to each section of the poem, whose sound is organic to the people and cultures being described. Legendary figures including indigenous leader Samuel Jackman Prescod and invented characters provide windows into the polarizing and uniting issues in the nation's history and illustrate the suffering and achievement of Barbados's known and unknown heroes.