half-caste Flashcards
who is John Agard?
an afro-guyanese poet and playwright who now
lives in the UK.
what is the poem about?
its about the stereotypes of being mixed race and other types of being half-caste.
how does this poem link to conflict?
this poem links to conflict because he is explaining the different kinds of being half-caste and how its not a bad thing
what is colloquialism?
Slang
what themes are explored in this poem?
race, stereotypes
what is half-caste?
half-caste is an offensive nickname for being mixed race.
how is the poem structured?
In the opening half of the poem, Agard uses a range
of humerous analogies to show that the word ‘half-caste’ has
no meaning. In the second half of the poem, the speaker
sarcastically discusses being half a person.
what language techniques are used in half-caste? And why?
Alliteration is used
in several places across the poem, particularly of heavy ‘p’, ‘b’
and ‘d’ sounds. This helps to add a beat throughout the
poem, creating a more pronounced rhythm and flow – this
helps the poem to mirror music popular in the Caribbean.
how is refrain used?
the speaker repeats the line ‘explain yurself’
why is refrain used?
refrain is used to make the reader reflect on the meaning of the term ‘half-caste’.
