What is checking out me history by John Agard about?

“Checking Out Me History” was written by the British Guyanese poet John Agard and first published in 2005, in the collection Half-Caste. The poem focuses on the holes in the British colonial education system—particularly that system’s omission of important figures from African, Caribbean, and indigenous history.

Why did Agard write checking out me history?

Checking Out Me History is a poem of two sides. Agard wants us to be aware of both the things he was taught at school and the things he did not learn in the mainstream curriculum that he feels are important. He uses the physical separation of the stanzas and the font styles to indicate which culture he is referencing.

How does Agard present identity in checking out me history?

How does Agard present his ideas in ‘Checking out me history’? Be able to identify techniques and explore the effect on the reader. Agard uses a dialect (Creole) in this poem shown by the phonetic spelling, making clear that language is part of identity his linguistic heritage.

What is the tone of the poem checking out me history?

The tone in each poem is different: in Give the tone is sarcastic, with a sense of hopelessness; whereas in Checking Out Me History the tone is confident and aims to bring about change.

What form is checking out me history?

Written in free verse. It is a dramatic monologue which sounds like a speech about non-European history: the poet teaches the reader his ‘history’. The poem alternates between two structures which are marked by two different fonts.

What is the conflict in checking out me history?

How is conflict over identity presented in Checking Out Me History and one other poem from The Anthology? Both poems ‘The Emigree’ and ‘Checking Out Me History’ explore a feeling of conflict over the persona’s own individual identity as a result of displacement and historical inaccuracy.

How does Agard present ideas about discrimination?

Agard is attacking full-on racism and a mind-set that believes in racial segregation. He makes such ideas seem as absurd and foolish as they are. His tone is commanding ‘Explain yuself’, ‘what yu mean’, and the rhythm is emphatic, beating out its rhymes with confidence.

Why is nanny de maroon associated with nature in checking out me history?

The second stanza in this section of ‘Checking Out Me History’ highlights much of the perceived character of Nanny the Maroon, using nature-based imagery to bring a positive influence to the picture. She was a “hopeful stream” that led to a “river” of freedom, a fiery force with a mountain dream.

Where is John Agard?

Georgetown, Guyana
John Agard/Place of birth

What inspired John Agard?

It’s not just me receiving this award, but all the people that inspired me,” he said. “People like my teacher Father Maxwell, the people who published my books, those who contributed to my journey way back in the Caribbean, and John Arlott, the legendary cricket commentator who inspired me with his words.”

How does John Agard structure his poem to convey his message?

For the poem’s structure, the poet uses short lines (e.g. ‘Excuse me’) and almost no punctuation (he uses ‘/’ instead of a full stop) to convey the direct and confrontational nature of the message. It makes the poem go quickly so it feels like someone ‘kicking off’ at you – pouring out his feelings at the reader.

How is anger presented in London and checking out me history?

Both London and Checking Out Me History are poems that express the poets anger towards the misuse of power by those with authority, but the main difference is that while Agard shows a solution, Blake does not, showing how they have different viewpoints on if it is possible to change.