checking out me history

Question 1

Structure

Answer 1

• dramatic monologue = It is as if we are having a conversation with John Agard
  himself. This creates a sense of intimacy making the message of the poem more
  impactful for the reader.
• written in free verse- reflect the desired freedom to explore his culture.
• enjambment and lack of rhyme scheme when celebrating his culture = rebellious
  and colloquial
• use of the rhyming scheme when describing brisitish culture such as “dat” “cat” and
  “balloon” “ moon” = how constrictive the education is and how repetitive it is

Question 2

Context

Answer 2

Published in the collection half-caste, which was focused on both culture and racial
identity. The poem was inspired by reading a school textbook which claimed that
West Indian history began with Columbus.

Question 3

Dem tell me.

Answer 3

• anaphora -Repetition of ‘tell me ‘Reveals his frustration with the lack of knowledge
  about his own history and identity, he feels forced to learn something he doesn’t
  want to.
• reveals his desperation to know more about his own history; also, could portray the
  repetition of teaching the white culture.
• “Dem” creates a sense of distance, alienating himself from the British which could
  mirror how white culture and alienated black history and refused to acknowledge it.
• also creates an immediate sense of conflict.
• “Dem”, harsh sound, reflecting the accusatory tone, challenging society and the
  British government.

Question 4

Bandage up me eye with me own history/ Blind me to me own identity.

Answer 4

• contrasting connotations of ‘Bandage’, which is synonymous with healing and
  helping people recover, and “Blind”, which connotes to injury, could suggest how
  the education system which is meant to teach its student about everything and help
  them is actually ‘blinding’ them and setting students back.
• “blind” contrasts to the view of education being enlightening.
• “blind”, highlights the oppressive nature of the British government.
• The plosive ‘b’ consonants create an underlying tone of aggression.
• The fact that Agard describes being “bandaged up” by his “own” history implies
  that the Eurocentric society he lives in attempts to heal him of his personal culture
  as though it were somehow broken or in need of cure; thus bandaging.

Question 5

Dem tell me bout 1066 and all dat / Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat/But
Toussaint L’Ouverture/ No dem never tell me bout dat (anger, identity)

Answer 5

• The term ‘all dat’ is dismissive and could imply Agard’s indifference to this version
  of history. The dismissive and irreverent tone of this comment could be reflective of
  how British society has been towards Agard’s own cultural history.
• By mentioning the fantasy character “Dick Whittington” John Agard could be
  implying that the British would rather teach fairy tales over significant people in
  Carribean history.
• Anger is further heightened through the stark contrast between a fairtayle and
  “Toussaint L’Ouverture”. Toussaint L’Ouverture led a revolution that freed the black
  slaved in Haiti. The fact that this historical figure directly follows right after a
  fairytale accenuates the seriousness of the situation and how “whitewashed”
  Caribbean history has become.
• The use of the double negative “no” and “never”, creates an angry and assertive
  tone.

Question 6

Toussaint/A slave/ With vision…. Toussaint de beacon

Answer 6

• connotations of light and vision contrast to being “blinded” and the earlier
  metaphor of “bandage up my eye.”
• “beacon” is often synonymous with “beacon of hope”. This has connotations of
  hope optimism, faith and inspiration, which sines a heroic light on the historical
  figure further portraying how beautiful Caribbean history is and how it should be
  implemented in the curriculum.

Question 7

Nanny/See-far woman/ Of mountain dream/ Fire-woman struggle/Hopeful stream/ To
freedom river.

Answer 7

• “See-far woman,”= metaphor= suggests that she is able to see beyond the
  immediate present and envision a future of freedom.
• “Mountain dream,”, a metaphor for her strength and resilience in the face of
  adversity.
• The metaphor “firewoman,” suggests that she is a fierce and determined fighter.
• The fourth line describes her struggle as a “hopeful stream,” which suggests that
  she is part of a larger movement towards freedom.
• The switch from the metaphorical “stream” to “river” could be reflective of the
  tremendous impact that Nanny de Maroon had in Carribbean history and highlights
  Agard’s admiration for her.
• The metaphorical use of “mountain” and “river” could be reflective of the magnitude
  of the freedom movement that she helped create, again portraying Nanny de
  Maroon as a powerful and heroic figure.
• The repetition of the “woman” ending in the first three lines creates a sense of
  continuity and reinforces the idea that Nanny is a powerful female figure.
• the “mountain dream” is a direct reference to Martin Luther King and his I have a
  dream address to a huge audience at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington in 1963.
  It evokes the aspirations of oppressed people.

Question 8

She still braves the Russian snow/A healing star/ Among the wounded/A yellow sunrise/ To
the dying.

Answer 8

• Stark contrast between “Russian snow” and “yellow sunrise”: “snow” has
  connotations for harsh and tough conditions whereas “sunrise” is synonymous with
  warmth and comfort. This portrayal of Seacole as the “yellow sunrise” hence implies
  how much comfort she brought to those in need in Russia.
• The metaphor, “healing star” portrays Seacole as heavenly and angelic as the
  comparison to a “star” implies that Seacole’s actions were of a celestial nature.
  Highlights how Seacole was an extraordinary nurse.
• Symbolism: star is a universal symbol of hope and guidance, while the sunrise is
  often associated with new beginnings and a fresh start. Hence implies that Seacole
  not only offered hope to the most desperate people but also helped paved the way
  for “new beginnings” in Caribbean history.

Question 9

Dem tell me/ Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me/ But now I am checking out my own
history/ I am carving out me identity (identity, anger)

Answer 9

• This makes the poem almost cyclical. However, the addition of “now I am checking
  out my own history” could be interpreted to break the cyclical structure. This could
  be symbolic of how Agard wishes to break the cycle of ignorance and serves as a
  symbol of defiance against ignoring Caribbean history.
• The conjunction “but” changes the trajectory of the poem, symbolising how Agard
  is go * The poet for the first time uses the pronoun “I” further adding to the sense of being
  determined to take back control.
• The poem ends with the significant word ‘identity’. This is what the poet feels he
  has been denied.
• Note also that there is no full stop, suggesting his story/his history isn’t complete.
• verb “carving out”: the fact that its in present tense implies that Agard has already
  begun educating himself on the history, emphasizing how determined he is to find
  his “identity”.
• “carving “implies it is a difficult process that will take time. “carving” is also
  synonymous with artwork, indicating how precious Caribbean history is to him. ing to take matters into his own hands