acacia
a tree or shrub of warm climates that bears spikes or clusters of yellow or white flowers and is frequently thorny
Benin
a country on the western coast of Africa, formerly colonized by the French
burnoose
a long, loose hooded cloak worn in the Middle East and North Africa.
candelabra
a large branched candlestick or holder for several candles or lamps
Canton
a province in southern China
Carthage
an ancient city-state on the north African coast near modern Tunis, famously destroyed by ancient Rome
charnel galleon
A charnel house is a vault or building where the remains of the dead are stored. A galleon is a type of sailing ship; Walcott combines these two terms in "Ruins of a Great House," probably to refer to a slave ship.
declension
in certain languages, especially romance languages, the variation of the form of a noun, pronoun, or adjective, by which its grammatical case, number, and gender are identified
diminutive
a shortened form of a name, typically used informally
disjecta membra
scattered fragments, especially of written work
The Harmattan
a very dry, dusty easterly or northeasterly wind on the West African coast, occurring from December to February.
Levantine
A native or inhabitant of the Levant. "The Levant" is the former name for the geographical area of the eastern Mediterranean that is now occupied by Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.
the Madonna
the Virgin Mary, especially when depicted seated and holding the infant Jesus
manchineel
a Caribbean tree that has acrid apple-like fruit and poisonous milky sap that can cause temporary blindness
osprey
a large fish-eating bird of prey with long, narrow wings and a white underside and crown, found throughout the world
Pontoise
a city in, and the capital of, Val-d'Oise, a region northwest of Paris.
prodigal
In the Bible, the prodigal son returned home after he had wasted all of his possessions, and was forgiven by his father. The word "prodigal" often refers to someone who is wasteful, but in "Map of the New World," Walcott uses it to refer to someone who finds their way back home.
rake
a fashionable or wealthy man of dissolute or promiscuous habits
seditious
inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch
ulcerous
being or having a corrupting influence
