Chekcing Out Me Hisritt Flashcards
Motif of light
Motif of light
In the stanzas regarding black
history, there are frequent references to light imagery.
Agard refers to Toussaint L’ouverture as “de beacon to de Haitian revolution”, Nanny de Maroon as
“fire-woman” and Mary Seacole as “a healing star” and “a yellow sunrise”. It can be inferred that the speaker associates these figures with light due to their emotional significance to him. This also shows that they are a source of guidance for him and the importance of teaching children about these people.
Non-standard phonetic spelling
Creole is the native language of an area whigh has arisen from attempting to speak two different languages. This is present in the non-standard phonetic spelling in “dem”, “de” and “bout”This shows how the speaker is resisting the traditions of the English language and the restrictions imposed by colonial rule. Agard’s use of phonetic spelling emphasises that that this poem is a form of oral poetry. Normally Agard writes in standard English so this makes this poem stand out in the collection.
Structure and form
It is written in free verse with the periodic use of rhyming quatrains (stanzas of 4 lines). Through this we see him undulating between European literary traditions and extended stanzas of free verse which allow him to praise the characters of black history. This could be a metaphorical act of breaking free from European convention as he abandons poetic tradition to give voice to the past that is oppressed by this very tradition (poetry with a meter is generally what is taught within the British education syllabus).
The extended, longer stanzas which discuss black history physically take up more space on the page, this may be an act of compensation- giving them the recognition that they were previously denied.
Looking more closely at the rhyming quatrains each reference to black history comes at the end of stanza perhaps critiquing how white history was prioritised. However, by it being the final image of the stanza it remains more pertinent in the readers mind to agard is now giving them the acknowledgement they deserve. The rhyme scheme is used to combat segregation as it pairs together the symbols of black-and-white history. Alternatively it abused the stances that speak of white history with the rigid and rehearsed childlike quality. They sound like nursery rhymes. It could be an implication that teaching of history is contrived and superficial. It lacks complexity.
Structure:
Enjambment appears consistently throughout the poem and Agard refuses to use any punctuation within the text. This could be a rebellion against education systems as it fails to employ the literary conventions regarding sentence structure.
Alternatively, it could reinforce and pity how the contents of his diatribe are merely oral- mourning how his cultural history is not documented enough, and it is only spread through word of mouth. • In another sense, it could display the intensity of his emotions, as he cannot contain and restrain himself within punctuation. You could also argue that it forces black and white history to merge, the use of the connective “But” rather than punctuation intentionally avoids creating a barrier between the two aspects of history and once again fights literary segregation.
• The harsh accusatory phrase “Dem tell me” is repeated throughout the poem. The plosive ‘d’ sound establishes a level of aggression and bitterness that Agard feels towards the education system. As it dominates the beginning of each stanza it could show the repressive and overbearing nature of the British colonial education, it branded itself over every time period in history which masked other cultural events. • Moreover, “Dem” celebrates his regional dialect and a refusal to conform to the lexis of those that educated him. It is important to note that there are other examples of this unorthodox phonetic spelling within the poem such as “de” and
“bout”, this is atypical for Agard’s poetry so it is clear it is a deliberate act of defiance against literary norms for this poem. • This concept of repetition could also allude to a superficial education as it give the impression of rote learning which is when facts are simply repeated in order t memorise them. This makes the information seem futile, suggesting it was only memorised for the sake of an exam and lacked enough importance to otherwise endure in his memory.
Context
John Agard, a British-Guyanese poet, draws on his Caribbean heritage and experiences of colonialism to craft a poem that critiques Eurocentric versions of history and advocates for the recognition of diverse cultural perspectives.
Message
In “Checking Out Me History,” Agard critiques the way history is taught in schools, especially the omission or distortion of the contributions of Black and Caribbean figures. The poem contrasts Western historical figures (like Napoleon and Queen Victoria) with influential figures from Caribbean history, such as Nanny of the Maroons and Toussaint L’Ouverture. Agard uses a mix of dialect and standard English to emphasize the personal and cultural significance of reclaiming history.
