The narrator's ex-lover explains that Omeros is Homer's name in Greek. But why does Walcott choose an ancient Greek poet as his guide for his work about Caribbean fisherman? There are a few different paths to walk for an answer. First, Walcott-as-narrator says he is inspired to use the unlikely form of Greek epic poetry because of a mystical experience: He sees Antigone's foam bust of Homer and hears the call to write in this genre. When Homer calls, Walcott answers.
But then he makes the connection between St. Lucia as the "Helen of the West Indies" and Helen of Troy—the source of chaos in the Trojan War written about in the Iliad. Since both of these Helens were captives of European powers, the association becomes really helpful to Walcott. It allows him to talk not just about beauty, but also about the strife born of slavery and colonialism on his island. The addition of a modern character named Helen (the Caribbean woman) lets him lay open the fallout of such a legacy and how it affects individual lives.