Poetry Checking out me history Flashcards
‘Dem tell me
Dem tell me ‘
‘Dem tell me
Dem tell me ‘
Immediate repetition adds a sense of emphasis to the speaker’s assertion—these people are deliberately and adamantly controlling what the speaker learns.
Phonetic spelling”dem” almost certainly refers to colonial powers of some sort. Agard, grew up in Guyana when it was still a British colony, and the poem’s use of Caribbean creole makes reasonable to assume that this “dem” refers to the British colonisers. He rejects the educations system like they rejected his history
Annoyed/angry tone at only being taught only what they wish to teach.
‘Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity’
‘Bandage’‘Blind’-metaphors-– colonial education system acts as a powerful enabler of oppression; it cuts people off from their heritage, and in doing so cuts people off from knowing who they are and where they come from.
Bandages are meant to heal, but he knows the removal of this knowledge has hurt him by blinding him to his true identity. He’s emphasising that when a person does not know their own history they don’t know who they really are
‘eye’ -homophone- for ‘I’ showing how he has had to take ownership of his education due to what has been hidden from him.
‘Columbus and 1492 but what happen to de Caribs and de Arawacks too’
‘Columbus and 1492 but what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too’
Eurocentric and white washing of history. Columbus is a Italian explorer who ‘‘discovered’’ America for Europe as the Carbis and Arawaks already lived there. Agard points out a flaw in the education system. Seems to suggest that things aren’t true or fact until Europe says so.
‘I carving out me identity’
‘I carving out me identity’
‘I’-The cyclical use of pronouns is interesting as it moves from ‘dem’ to ‘I’ showing he has broken away from the shackles of the colonial education system in order to forge his identity
‘Carving’-Metaphor – suggests something permanent and long lasting. He is creating himself anew with his knowledge and encourages the reader to research into their own history.
Links to ‘a healing star’ from ‘bandaged’ to ‘healing’ extended metaphor reveals he has cured himself of his pain just by looking into his history.
Structure/form/context
Enjambment builds up speaker’s frustration about the way he was taught History as well as at the overall treatment of black people.
Irregular stanzas allow the lessons which were important to him to stand out.
Marginalized stanzas to show how some have been Marginalized
Agard uses variations in spelling to suggest Caribbean dialect – stresses the importance of ‘carving’ out your own identity
