Checking out me History

Question 1

context
- author
- heritage
- inspiration
- what does his writing usually focus on

Answer 1

• John Agard
• Born in the Caribbean & moved to UK in late 1970s as one of the windrush generation
• Inspired by reading a textbook saying Caribean history began when Columbus discovered- FALSE
• he challenges racist attidtudes and tries to uncover uncoscious racist bias

Question 2

stanzas:
- stanza forms
- difference between caribbean and british history stanza structure

Answer 2

• mixture of stanza forms ; breaking the language rules he has been taught
• caribbean stanzas are shorter and have broken syntax ; serious nature

Question 3

rhyme scheme in british

Answer 3

simple, childish rhymes- makes it not serious
e.g - ‘dat’ and ‘cat’

Question 4

how does the poem flow

Answer 4

Alternate between British and Caribbean figures- emphasising difference
British stanzas short & less detail ; insinuating they are less important

Question 5

‘Dem —- me’ x2

Answer 5

Dem tell me x2
accusatory anaphoric repition- showing the speaker’s anger
alt = phonetic spelling shows the speaker’s identity- how he is proud
dismissive tone
anger towards institution- London

Question 6

‘B—— up me —’

Answer 6

Bandage up me eye
inury connotation- speaker hurt by upbringing
ironic as bandages meant to heal not hurt
alt = shows the destructive nature of colonialism

Question 7

‘de —— to de H—– revoultion’ - Toussaint
‘f— w—-‘ Nanny de Maroon
‘healing —-‘ & ‘a y—— —rise’- Mary Seacole

Answer 7

de beacon to de Haitian revolution
fire woman
healing star … a yellow sunrise
MOTIF OF LIGHT
* black history figures compared to light
* symbol of eternal hope and significance to Agard
* alt = source of hope, guidance and inspiration
* both interpretations show how Agard is influenced by heritage
* also shows that they are powerful figures- human power

Question 8

‘But now I checking out me own ——– I ——- out me ——-‘

Answer 8

But now I checking out me own history I carving out me identity
emphatic final line shows he is going to change himself for the better. Will be worth it
but also the verb carving indicates that this is a painful and slow process- showing how he has been hurt and lied to for years.

Question 9

power of humans- compare to London

Answer 9

few individuals misuse power- COMH= education (dem tell me) , London = institution (church, child labour)

diff: COMH- people can change despite all pain- last line. London- powerless and hopeless (wander) and even if there is change no real diff (innocent soldiers die).

COMH; few people use power for good- black figures = light- hope, guidance + force of immense potency. both interpretations show the good change some could do
London- no one uses power for good- everyone trashed by institution- anaphora of in every

structure to accentuate anger toward institution:
COMH- simple rhyme for British- nursery rhyme not important
London- ABAB rhyme scheme recurring - can’t escape symbolic of inequality