Checking Out Me History Flashcards
context.
-agard believes education has a eurocentric view
-poet was born in guyana(british colony)
-oral poetry
structure-rhyme
-the rhyme scheme forces both white and black historical figures together on multiple occasions,the opposite of the segregation that he felt as a child
-rhyme scheme builds up to a climax multiple times to the name of black historical figures,reminding us of their importance
-at the beginning of the poem he has a childish,simplistic rhyme scheme,repetitive and constrictive reflecting his life in bitan
what is the use of the enjambment and repetition in checking out me history
-forces the reader to combine black and white historical figures together
-the repetition of dem tell me reflects the anger
what is the significance of the rhyme scheme being childlike in the verses about white people
-mocks the presentation of history as childish and naive
what is the structure like in the verses about black people
-in italics,shows importance
-free verse,no rhyme or regular rhythm to reflect that no one controls them,cultural freedom
-short lines shows a righteous anger,frustrated he was not taught about these historical figures
-described using lots of imagery to do with light showing us hope and rebellion
“bandage up me eye with me own history,Blind me to me own identity”
-metaphor of his eye means that he is deliberately being held back from his history
-shows he hasn’t been blinded by the history he has been taught
-the false view of history is mirrored by the false treatment of his eye,not
-homophone eye(I) ironically suggests that it is his identity that has been bandaged
“but now i checking out me own history,i carving out me identity”
-verb carving is an active strenuous task,and it suggests we have to actively seek out our identity
-the structural device of ending the stanza with a reference to the speaker symbolises how his new found history has empowered him with his new found sense of identity
what does the use of creole language and phonetic spellings and the lack of punctuation throughout the poem show
-Agard refuses to conform to the rules of the english language
-he is standing against the oppressive domineering control of the english language
-he is standing against the eurocentric view of identity,which would seek to isolate black people
-forces the reader to acknowledge agard’s own identity
“toussaint a slave with vision lick back napolean”
-free verse,rhymes occur quickly and unpredictably,reflecting personal freedom linked to cultural freedom
-toussaint, a slave is contrasted by napoleon,showing us that a mere slave is more powerful then a conqueror,shows us that he thinks in the future he could overcome the eurocentric perception of history
-shows us the poem is small but is tackling a massive issue
“dem tell me about columbus and 1492,but what happen to de Caribs and dw Arawaks too”
-shows us that history teaches us about how columbus “discovered” america,showing us a vision of how europeans took what belonged to others and took it for themselves
-points out something that we are not taught,columbus stopping off at caribbean island leading to the extinction of the Caribs and Arawaks”
-Agard is trying to give us a sense of guilt about our history and how we too have been blinded to the horrors
quotes
-“dem tell me about columbus and 1492,but what happen to de Caribs and dw Arawaks too”
-“toussaint a slave with vision lick back napolean”
-“bandage up me eye with me own history,Blind me to me own identity”
-“but now i checking out me own history,i carving out me identity”
