checking out me history

Question 1

who wrote checking out me history

Answer 1

john agard

Question 2

dem tell me
dem tell me
wha dem want to tell me

Answer 2

building up rhythm to make a political point
anaphora
childish rhyme repetitive and constrictive like britain

Question 3

“bandage up me eye with me own history”

Answer 3

eye homophone for identify
been told he’s damaged but he’s fine
his own history has been obstructed from him

Question 4

toussaint
a slave
with vision
lick back 
napoleon

Answer 4

• emphasis on personal freedom
• The lines become more free verse when he starts speaking about his own history

napoleon was conquered by the black slave even though Napoleon was more powerful this reflects how he could overcome the weight of European history

Question 5

“dem telll me about columbus and 14492 but what happen to de caribs and de arawaks too”

Answer 5

• not taught that columbus initally went to the arawaks and it was genocide
• he isn’t going to be like the europeans taking over the world
• we also have our eyes bandaged to negative history

Question 6

“a healing star”

Answer 6

metaphor about mary seacole
zeus turns significant people into stars so they become beacons of hope
wants her to guide the reader

Question 7

“i carving out me identity”

Answer 7

metaphor
he’s a sculptor who made something beautiful
the poem is carving out his history
couplet signifying a happy end