checking out me history

checking out me history author

John Agard

john agard context

born in Guyana and received a british education- taught only EUROCENTRIC stories/ viewpoints and was denied his culture

guyana was a west indian country that was colonised by the dutch and had a history of slavery

- Rejection of exclusively white historical curriculum

- Mixing black and white historical figures to show importance of them to him/his own identity

checking out me history context

based on a textbook which claimed west indian history began with columbus and was only "descovered" when the white man found it

part of a poetry collection which focuses on cultural and racial identity

explores the universal experience of people living under oppression and are denied their cultural identity

structure of checking out me history

italics used to separate the distinct stanzas regarding European history and figures in black history - segregation, or finally having the stand out respect it deserves by contrasting rich powerful imagery with childish nursery rhymes

-balck people at end of stanzas- seen as less than white people

rhyme scheme + enjambment ties together Black and white references- Agard is attempting to end segregation and unite races through literary unification

structure of checking out me history

non standard english shows rebellion at oppressors

cyclical structure- shows history repeating itself-shows the narrator is breaking out of that hold

4 line stanzas and rhyme- shows tight control of education system

enjambment and no punctuation- jumbled thought- history has been forgotten and is hard to remember --- individuals are taught more about eurocentric history than basic skills like reading or writing- lack of control, passion, unravelling history

themes of checking out me history

Power of Humans

Anger

Identity

internal conflict between identities

power of whitewashing on history/ truth

"dem tell me"

Repetition throughout the poem, emphasizes the separateness of the british educational system from himself. Further creates a sense of "them&us"

repetition also mimics the relentlessness of eurocentric education and gives the effect of continuous brainwashing

creates an oppressive tone

passion and anger- wants his message to be heard- presents eurocentric views as childish and "moany"

what language is checking out me history written in?

Creole

a type of Jamaican slang

native language of an area which has tried to speak 2 languages- shows conflict of identity

resisiting the traditions of the english language and colonial rule

gives a sense of teaching and trying to be relatable

"bandage up me eye with me own history"

Metaphor implies they are hiding the truth from him.

his identity has been shielded from him- feels incomplete

imagery of a wound needing to be covered- his history is seen as broken and something that needs to be concealed or mended

shows control of europeans as they can choose which parts of history to teach

"Toussaint de beacon of de Haitian Revolution"

- Metaphor - light represents truth and hope for his nation's place in history

-beacon refers to him as a symbol of freedom and hope

"de cow who jump over de moon"

JUXTAPOSITION-Uses nursery rhymes as an example of British history. Makes it seem childish and unimportant in comparison to powerful black history

This phrase from the semantic field of childhood implies that the speaker feels he has lost his childhood and is stuck in the past due to being brainwashed by eurocentric views

'Mary Seacole...

a healing star...

a yellow sunrise'

overlooked by florence nightingale even though they did the same job but seacole was jamaican and poor

shows the power of whitewashing history- john agard brings her into the light- revelation of the truth of history

presents her as a guiding light and hope for wounded soldiers

But now I checking out me own history// I carving out me identity

taking back control and power- creating his own pathway for history

"checking out" could link to leaving eurocentric history behind

"carving has connotations of pain and brutal process