checking out me history Flashcards
what is it about
The speaker is recounting all of the historical figures he was taught as a child, he then lists all of the figures from black history who were not mentioned. He resolves to discover more about his own heritage.
context on author
Agard was born in Guyana and received a British education due to the country being colonised up until 1966. He was therefore given a eurocentric view of history whilst being denied his own cultural identity. Guyana was originally a Dutch colony, part of the Dutch West Indies Company, during this time, Africans were sold as slaves to America and the Caribbean. Agard’s formative years were lived under British rule, however, eventually he saw his country become independent and realised how much of his identity he was deprived o
significance of the time that it was written
The poem was inspired by reading a school textbook which claimed that West Indian history began with Columbus. It was published in the collection “Half caste and other poems” which was focused on both culture and racial identity. Agard published the collection after living in Britain for approximately 30 years. The poems were intended to be universal to apply to all people living under oppression and being denied their cultural identity.
structure
Each stanza ends with a reference to a black historical figure which shows their significance to Agard. Alternatively, this could be interpreted to symbolise how these figures are given less prominence. Black history is given separated, dedicated stanzas which could be seen to symbolise it finally receiving the respect and significance it deserves. The rich imagery in these stanzas juxtaposes with the almost childish lexis in the other stanzas to show the beautiful and complex nature of black history
The repetition of “Dem tell me” mirrors rote learning and it could be inferred that Agard had to rote learn the history he was taught due to its lack of personal relevance to him. It also creates an oppressive tone to the teaching of history. Each stanza begins with “dem tell me” which shows how colonial control has dominated his life in the same way it dominates the poem. The repetition could also be interpreted to allude to Agard’s emphatic desire to have his message heard.
main idea 1
identity
‘i carving out me identity’
This has injury-like connotations which imply that the speaker feels he has been hurt by his sheltered upbringing
absence of punctuation shows he cannot control his anger
his identity is concealed
The active verb used in “I carving out me identity” creates the impression that this is an ongoing process. This also has painful connotations which shows that this process is a painful one, implying that he feels pain at having his identity withheld from him for so long. The verb “carving” has connotations of wood which shows how the speaker no longer has the neural plasticity of a child so changing his worldview is long and difficult
he is reclaiming his identity and is forcing the reader to acknowledge it
main idea 2
vocal tone.
form of oral poetry,
vocalising opinions about society
’ dem ‘
Creole is the native language of an area which has arisen from attempting to speak two different languages. This is present in the non-standard phonetic spelling in “dem”, “de” and “bout”. This shows how the speaker is resisting the traditions of the English language and the restrictions imposed by colonial rule. Agard’s use of phonetic spelling emphasises that that this poem is a form of oral poetry. Normally Agard writes in standard English so this makes this poem stand out in the collection.
main idea 3
‘bandage up me eye with my own history’
importance of culture
Agard repeatedly uses violent metaphors to show the cruelty of colonialism. The line emphasises the deliberate nature of the abuse inflicted by colonial control. This also implies that his education has changed the way in which he views the world now.
conflict surrounding culture due to colonial rule
