Checking Out Me History by John Agard Flashcards
The poem in a nutshell….
In this poem, the speaker is talking about his identity and how it links to his knowledge of history. He was taught British History at school but not about his Caribbean roots. He lists famous figures from history and questions why he has no knowledge of those from other cultures who did great things.
In the poem he mentions men and women from other cultures who should be remembered and celebrated and he concludes by saying he is going to create his own identity based on his heritage.
Context
John Agard was born in Guyana, a Caribbean country in South America, but he moved to Britain in 1977
His poetry often examines cultures and identities and this poem was published in 2007.
‘Dem tell me’
The repetition of ‘Dem’ emphasises the separation the
speaker feels between the British education system and
himself. The use of the phonetic spelling supports this as it creates a sense of the speaker’s voice and suggests he feels pride in his heritage and background.
Bandage up me eye with me own history
Blind me to me own identity’
The use of the word ‘bandage’ here is ironic as bandages are associated with healing but here, it has been used to prevent him from seeing his own history and identity. It makes the attempt to prevent him from seeing his identity seem deliberate. The fact he is them ‘blinded’ emphasises this and suggests a long lasting effect.
Dem tell me about Lord Nelson and Waterloo, but
dem never tell me about Shaka de great zulu’
The contrasts between the historical figures emphasises the differences between them. The British figures are glossed over quickly whereas those from other cultures are explored in more detail, showing the poet feels they deserve more respect.
Aspects of Power or Conflict
The poet feels angry about the limited version of history he has been taught.
The poet explores the power of humans over others.
The poem explores conflict within the speaker’s identity,
Poems that can be linked
My Last Duchess (The abuse of power and the power of identity)
London (the anger of the poet)
Tissue (The conflict of identity)
