Checking out me history

Question 1

Checking out me history Form

Answer 1

Use mixture of stanza forms suggesting he’s breaking the confining language rules he’s been taught

Caribbean history stanza have shorter lines and more broken syntax than british culture emphasising them and makes them seem more important

Rhymes schemes are also different - british stanzas have more rhymes making it seem childish

Question 2

Checking out me history Structure

Answer 2

Alternates between historical and fictional figures from Caribbean and British cultures emphasising difference between them. British figures are skipped over quickly while Caribbean figures are covered in more detail

‘THE COW JUMPED OVER THE MOON’ uses nursey rhymes as an example of british history - makes it seem trivial

‘MOUNTAIN DREAM… HOPEFUL STREAM…FREEDOM RIVER’ connects nanny to nature and water - she seems like a spiritual person. She also associated with hope and liberty

Question 3

Checking out me history metaphors of vision and blindness

Answer 3

The narrator says that his education kept his heritage hidden from him. Images of light are positive because they suggest an awareness of your own identity

‘BANDAGE UP ME EYE’ deliberate attempt to hide history. Image of bandage is ironic. Bandages should aid healing but here they’ve caused blindness

‘WITH VISION’ ‘BEACON’ image of light and vision contrast with blindness of his forma education

Question 4

Checking out me history Oral Poetry Features

Answer 4

‘DEM TELL ME’

Use techniques from oral poetry such as repetiton, strong and phonetic spelling. this links the poem to the oral tradition of reciting poetry aloud, which are used as ways of communicating history.

The use of caribbean phonetic spellings creates a sense of pride in his background ‘DEM TELL ME’

Question 5

Checking out me history poem to compare

Answer 5

LONDON narrators anger

TISSUE haritage and challenging authority