Csaire's Tempest , in translation by Richard Miller, is a sprightly and song-filled enchantment. The luminous intelligence of Mr. Csaire's meditation on the absurdities of colonialism shines through the antics of the bewildered characters." - New York Times "The weapon of poetry may be Csaire's greatest gift to a modern world still searching for freedom. As one of the last truly great 'universalists' of the twentieth century, he has had a hand in shaping or critiquing many of the major ideologies and movements of the modern world. In his own words: 'Poetic knowledge is born in the great silence of scientific knowledge.'" -from the Introduction Csaire's rich and insightful adaptation of The Tempest draws on contemporary Caribbean society, the African-American experience and African mythology to raise questions about colonialism, racism and their lasting effects. AIM CSAIRE was a world-renowned poet, essayist and dramatist, whose best known works include Notebook of a Return to My Native Land , The Tragedy of King Christophe and A Season in the Congo . He was the founding editor of Tropiques , which was instrumental in establishing the use of surrealism as a political weapon. He co-formulated the concept of "negritude," which urges black Africans to reject assimilation and cultivate consciousness of their racial qualities and heritage. Csaire held a number of government positions in his native Martinique, including that of mayor of Fort-de-France. Csaire died in 2008. RICHARD