Abstract

This essay lays out the cultural vision of Edwin Thumboo, national poet of Singapore, in a post-colonial socio-political context. Arguing for the legitimacy of writing national themes in English, Thumboo and Singapore's writers of English have always held a strong belief that English has to be the "bridge language" to connect different ethnic groups in the island country, despite the fact that Singapore is surrounded by Malay neighbors. This paper also attempts to argue against those who criticize Thumboo's national themes as too optimistic and therefore lacking self-criticism. Thumboo's efforts to "tap tradition and modem" could be understood in the logic of "postmodern nationalism" conceptualized by Robert Young.

Keywords: Edwin Thumboo, Singapore literature, nationalism