Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Power and Conflict Poetry > Checking Out Me History and The Émigrée > Flashcards

Checking Out Me History and The Émigrée Flashcards

1
Q

Comparison 1

A

Both poems explore the memories of childhood.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Comparison 2

A

Both poems also explore the effects of conflict on their sense of identity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Comparison 3

A

Both poems also attach emotional significance to cultural identity. They both end in a sense of hope to help explore these ideas.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Checking Out Me History 1

A

In Checking Out Me History, Agard demonises his childhood and his Eurocentric education during this time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Checking Out Me History 1 - Quotes

A

“dem tell me”
“de dish ran away with de spoon”
“dem never tell me about nanny de maroon”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

The Émigrée 1

A

In Contrast, in The Émigrée, the speaker romanticises her childhood.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The Émigrée 1 - Quotes

A

“my memory of it is sunlight-clear”/”November”
“bright filled paperweight”
“it tastes of sunlight” - every stanza ends in “sunlight”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Checking Out Me History 2

A

In Checking Out Me History, Agard exposes the damaging impact of colonial rule. This is evident through the use of violent language.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Checking Out Me History 2 - Quotes

A

“Bandage up me eye”

“Blind me to me own identity”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

The Émigrée 2

A

However, in The Émigrée, the speaker highlights how tyranny has displaced her. Like in Checking Out Me History, Rumens also uses violent language to explore this idea.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

The Émigrée 2 - Quotes

A

“branded by an impression of sunlight”
“sick with tyrants”
“i have no passport”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Checking Out Me History 3

A

In Checking Out Me History, Agard emphasises reconnecting with his cultural identity and sense of self.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Checking Out Me History 3 - Quotes

A

“but now”

“I carving out me identity”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

The Émigrée 3

A

Likewise, in The Émigrée, the speaker uses her connection with her cultural identity to survive her displacement.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

The Émigrée 3 - Quotes

A

“I comb its hair and love its shining eyes”
“my city takes me dancing”
“my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

“my memory of it is sunlight-clear”/”November”

A
  • immediately associates happiness with place
  • symbolise hope, optimism
  • jxt “November”
  • late autumn, cn cold/darkness
  • acknowledges that her city going through difficult time
  • November = month, will pass, shows optimism that conflict will too pass
  • alt. little sunlight in Nov, trying to block out neg. details?
17
Q

“bright filled paperweight”

A

-metaphor
“paperweight” cn permanence + stability, holds weightless/fragile things together
-memories fixed in place, will never leave her
-refuses to let go of memories
-perhaps believes only thing keeping identity together
-glass fragile - memories precious to her

18
Q

“it tastes of sunlight” - every stanza ends in “sunlight”

A
  • rep of sunlight, views home country as something radiant
  • use of synaesthesia, inc vividness of xp
  • sun = source of light energy - perhaps energised by memories
  • light - symbol of hope, never gives up hope of returning home/peace in country
19
Q

“branded by an impression of sunlight”

A

-metaphor
“branded” - eternally marked, cannot escape
-violent verb that carries connotations of permanence and ownership
-memory holds the power here – her view is unchangeable

20
Q

“sick with tyrants”

A
  • personification
  • abuse of power as an illness
  • city vulnerable/innocent
  • potential for cure? illness temp?
  • semantic field of warfare demonstrates war torn reality + tyranny in home country ​
21
Q

“i have no passport”

A

“passport” - demonstrates pain inflicted by man-made borders as without a passport a person will face restrictions
-passport proof of identity, she feels her city, part of her identity, was stripped away from her as a result of the conflict

22
Q

“I comb its hair and love its shining eyes”

A
  • jxt semantic field of warfare
  • personifies the country as something vulnerable like a child
  • ignores current suffering for the more favourable view narratir had as a child as she seem to attempt to protect it
23
Q

“my city takes me dancing”

A

“my” - personal pronoun, takes personal comfort in reflecting on her home city
“dancing” - element of magic/freedom (unlike other poem) in the city which emphasises her romanticised view

24
Q

“my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight”

A
  • jxt no shadow without light – symbolism of hope and positivity
  • ends on sunlight - circularity
  • opinion of homeland will always be positive, no matter what “darkness” there may be
  • tone of hope
25
Q

“dem tell me”

A

-semi phonetic spelling used to project accent and show pride +/ express strong sense of personal identity
“dem” jxt “me”
-immediately emphasises separation from GB education
-creates “us vs them” mentality
-repetition creates oppressive tone
-dull and boring - like edu system
-alt. rote learning - lack of personal relevance to him

26
Q

“de dish ran away with de spoon”

A
  • rhyme in this stanza used to create a mocking tone
  • nursery rhyme as an eg of gb history - make it seem trivial
  • demonstrate poet’s neg view of eurocentric edu
  • unreal events = uselessness + irrelevance
  • sm of childhood associated with gb history demonstrates how he feels is childhood hs been wasted as a result of his identity stripped away
27
Q

“dem never tell me about nanny de maroon”

A
  • jxt of pronouns, again draws attention to diff + hostility felt btwn the diff cultures - smth agard feels needs to change
  • 3rd pp also shows the little respect speaker hs for decisionmakers who ignore black history
  • draws reference to “Nanny de Maroon” - leader of the maroons, who led the Jamaican resistance against gbis
  • demonstrates how he believes this is more relevant to him
  • highlights white washing of edu
28
Q

“Bandage up me eye”

A
  • metaphor
  • verbs imply covering up - exactly what he feels govt is trying to fo regarding the existence of black history
  • verb also has cn of injury and harm, implying that being unable to explore roots can be disabling
  • suggests deliberate attempt at abise inflicted
  • bandange ironic - should be healing
29
Q

“Blind me to me own identity”

A

-plosive ‘b’ sound create an underlying tone of aggression (seen throughout the poem) as well as reinforc how damaging the covering up of black history was

30
Q

“but now”

A
  • conjunction “but” changes trajectory of poem
  • demonstrates how he is going to take action to reclaim his “own identity”, despite the whitewashing faced throughout childhood
31
Q

“I carving out me identity”

A

-poem ends on tone of hope, like emigree
“identity” - final word of poem sums up the main theme, going to use his own history to create identity
“carving” - active verb - ongoing process, painful cn, drawn out proecess

Power and Conflict Poetry (13 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions