Half cast Flashcards
Q: What is the main theme of Half-Caste?
A: The poem explores themes of identity, racism, prejudice, and the richness of mixed heritage.
Q: How is Half-Caste structured?
A: The poem is written in free verse with short, fragmented lines, reflecting the poet’s anger and frustration towards the term “half-caste”.
Q: How does Agard use phonetic spelling in the poem?
A: The poem is written in Caribbean dialect (“Explain yuself”), reinforcing cultural identity and challenging traditional English norms.
Q: What is the significance of the repeated phrase “Explain yuself”?
A: It acts as a challenge to those who use the term “half-caste”, demanding justification for their prejudice.
Q: How does the poet use irony?
A: Agard mocks the term “half-caste” by applying it to famous artistic and natural phenomena, such as “Picasso / mix red an green”, showing that mixing creates beauty rather than inferiority.
Q: How does Agard use imagery to challenge the term “half-caste”?
A: He compares mixed heritage to artistic and natural blends (“half-caste symphony” and “half-caste weather”), emphasizing the richness of diversity.
Q: What is the effect of the fragmented structure?
A: The irregular line lengths reflect broken identity and the poet’s frustration with being seen as incomplete.
Q: How does the poet use humor and sarcasm?
A: Agard’s tone is both playful and confrontational, using humor to expose the absurdity of racial prejudice (“when yu say half-caste / yu mean tchaikovsky / sit down at dah piano / an mix a black key / wid a white key”).
Q: What is the effect of the lack of punctuation?
A: The absence of punctuation forces the reader to engage with the rhythm and energy of the poem, mimicking spoken word poetry.
Q: What does the phrase “wha yu mean?” suggest?
A: It challenges the reader directly, forcing them to reconsider their assumptions about race and mixed heritage.
Q: How does Half-Caste compare to Search for My Tongue?
A: Both explore cultural identity and language, but Half-Caste confronts racism directly, while Search for My Tongue reflects internal struggle.
