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Checking out me history
● Context: the man who wrote this poem, John
Agard, was born in Guyana but spent much of
his life in England
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● “Dem tell me/Dem tell me/Wha dem want to
tell me” - the repetition of this phrase suggests
the separateness of the education system from the narrator, and his anger
and frustration about this
...
This use of Creole language not only further
separates the narrator from the reader and his society, but hints at his identity
and how he has been selectively taught parts of British history (rather than, for
example, “Toussaint” - a prominent figure in black history)
...
This rhyme yokes
together this date in history and a nursery rhyme, which could suggest that
they are equally unimportant to Agard
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This makes
British history seem trivial compared to the struggles
faced by the heroes of black history
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This word is also yoked together
with “blind” as both give a sense of the speaker’s anger
that important black leaders have not been celebrated
with the recognition they deserve
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● The interjections (which explain to the reader who these prominent black
figures, such as Nanny de Maroon, actually are and therefore entirely prove
his point) are often performed like songs which are a key feature of
Caribbean culture and storytelling
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This creates a sense
of pride for the speaker’s background
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youtube
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● These interjections also show how the Caribbean figures are explored in
greater detail, often with metaphors of vision and light to suggest their
ability to guide and influence other people
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This highlights the speaker’s admiration of the figures of black
history
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