Checking out me history Flashcards
poet
john agard
context
educated under colonial rule so on euroecentri history, not his own heritage, he was denied his cultural identity
INITIAL dem tell me
dem tell me
repwtition creates accusatory tone, showing speaker anger
bendage up my eye
injury-like connotations, implies speaker feels like he is been hurt by this sheltered upbringing, and that he has been forced to follow it
blind me to me own identity
key motif of blindness, suggests the oppression of western education.
violent metaphor for cruelty of colonialism and of how the world is blind to the past, suggesting his culture is in the metaphorucal darkness.
1066 and all dat
*(Dick witthingon and he cat)
dismissive language shows his little interest in english history ( battle of hastings)
history juxtaposed with fairytales to show its irrelevance.
“vision” “beacon”
link to motif of light for Toussaint
who was toussaint what were hagard hopes
leader of revolution of black slaves that led to freedom from colonial france, symbol of rebellion and resistace. hoped to be similar to him and to revolutionise education system and to resist to oppression
Nanny de maroon
female leader of Jamaica maroons who escpaed slavery
“mountain dream” *fire-woman” “see far-woman” “hopeful stream to freedom rider”
lexical field of peaceful objects of nature is a metaphor for the tranquil and fair world that she wanted to live in. she was a visionary
“robin hood used to camp”
iron + deliberate anti climax to connote hoe education system teaches us irrelevant knowledge
florence Nightingale
mary seacole
both women but we rarely hear about mary seacole, raises the doubt if reeason for this difference is colour. arguably she did more so example of everyday racism
“healing star “
“yellow sunrise”
Mary seacole was brigh woman, positive and powerful force in dark lonely time of war. idea of light which suggests hope
But know
volta
structure
dual structure between stanzas.some quatrains that rhyme mixed with free verse. showing difference between black and white history, one free, other locked in(authority rules like traditional quatrains)
strict stanza juxtaposes with italics section undermining whites people power, showing us another voice
dem tell me repetition
each stanza begins with it showing how colonial control dominated his life the same way it dominates the poem. also allude to his his emphatetic desire to share his message
rhyme scheme
ties together section concerning white and black history, literay unification to show aim to end segregation. “balloon, moon,spoon, maroon”
“de cow who jump over the moon”+ stanza organisation
childish language juxtaposes rich imagery used to show the beautiful black history implying the differences between the two, espacilally their popolarity. Childish also because he feels like he’s lost his childhood/wasted. this language also as it’a childish this one dimension eurocentric of world.
each stanza end with reference to black person to show their significance to Agard and how they were given less prominence
“but know”
Volta, turning point as poet swtched from “dem” to “I”. shows his taking ownership and focusing on himself rather than them
“I carving out me identity”
contrasts “blind me to me own identity”
violent metaphor with positive tone to show he is taking possession of his history and his self. active evrb to show it is ongoing process
Motif of light
source of guidance for writer and the importance of theaching children about these poeple
“bout” “de” “dat”
non-standard phonetic spelling, shows hoe poeple had to speak 2 languages native and the one of colonialists, he is resisiting traditions of colinal rules.
it emphasises that it is in a form of oral poetry.
punctuation
not used, theme of resisting oppression, . Punctuation can be interpreted to be a set of rules to restrict communication so Agard’s refusal to include it shows his intention to allow the listener to interpret the poem in their own way and attach their own identity to it. No full stop at end it means it is on going and contineous
figures he celebrates
Toussant L’Overture
Nanny de maroon
Mary seacole
Shake de great Zule
Caribs and the Arawaks
figures he undermines ( he also mentions battles and colonialists)
robin hood
man who discover de balloon
dick whittington
king cole
