Checking Out Me History Flashcards
What is the effect of the dual structure?
The separation between italics within each of the stanzas shows the separation between the history that he was taught and the black history he thinks should be taught.
What is the effect of the repetition?
The repetition of “dem tell me” mirrors the rote learning that Agard was taught, and creates an oppressive tone through the usage of the third person pronoun.
What is the effect of the rhyme scheme?
The predictable rhyme scheme in the non italic stanzas of AAAA while describing both white and black history, with the rhymes between both highlighting how entangled both are, and how important it is to teach both.
What is the effect of stanza organisation?
Each stanza ends with a reference to a historical black figure showing their significance to Agard. Black history is given separate dedicated stanzas to symbolise it finally receiving the respect it deserves. The rich imagery in each stanza juxtaposes the childish lexis in other stanzas to demonstrate the complex nature of black history.
What is the effect of enjambment?
The conjunction of “but” ties together black and white history implying that they cannot be separated, while black history cannot be ignored.
The overflowing sentences also show the speaker is unable to constrain his thoughts to one line and therefore they spill into the next.
What is the effect of the ending?
The volta “but now”, marks a shift in the perspective of the speaker, shifting from “dem” to “I” as he begins to take ownership of his own identity.
The final stanza contrasts with the intro, the phrase “I carving out me identity” contrasts with “blind me to me own identity”, showing the speakers journey to resolution throughout the poem.
The usage of “I” in the ending concludes the sentiment throughout the poem that colonialism has had on individuals as people.
What is the effect of the motif of light?
There are frequent references to light imagery, referring to Toussaint L’Ouverture as “de beacon”, Nanny de Maroon as “fire-woman” and Mary Seacole as a “healing star” and a “yellow sunrise”. This imagery associates the figures with light due to their emotional significance to him.
What is the effect of metaphors?
Agard uses violent metaphors such as “blind me to me own identity”, emphasising the deliberate and cruel nature of the abuse inflicted by colonial control.
He also uses the phrase “I carving out me own identity”, with the active verb of “carving” suggesting he is creating his own path, but the violent verb suggests it is a painful process to undertake.
What is the effect of non-standard phonetic spelling?
Shows the resistance to English traditions of language, and the restrictions of colonial rule.
What is the effect of punctuation in Checking Out Me History?
Agard uses no punctuation, again to signify his refusal to accept English traditions of language.
Good Quotes
"bandage up me eye" "dem tell me // dem tell me" "blind me to me own identity" "but now I carving out me own identity" "fire woman", "de beacon", "healing star", "yellow sunrise"
Analysis of “bandage up me eye”
Injury like connotations, implying the damage inflicted by his sheltered upbringing from his own culture.
Analysis of “dem tell me // dem tell me”
The repetition creates an accusatory tone, showing the speaker’s anger.
Comparisons?
Emigree
Comparisons between COMH / Emigree?
Violent connotations of “bandage up me eye” allude to the conflict between Agard’s speaker’s culture and the one inflicted upon him due to colonial rule. Similar conflict in Emigree as she is “branded by sunlight”
Both poems attach great emotional significance to their cultural identities, “dem tell me” shows the anger he feels, with Rumens having maternal feelings towards her former home.
Importance of language in both, with Rumens’ work in “child’s vocabulary” and COMH using creole with no punctution.
In COMH, the speaker demonises his childhood through his angry tone alongside a separation of stanzas. Contrastingly, Rumens’ feelings towards her city are still pleasant, using frequent light imagery while describing it.
