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An analysis and interpretation of the poem 'Checking Out Me History' by John Agard. various literary devices used in the poem, including repetition, non-standard English dialect, enjambment, metaphor, and irony. The poem explores themes of history, identity, and the power dynamics between different cultures. The document also includes information about the author, John Agard, and his background.
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Repetition and Tone Dem tell me Dem tell me Wha dem want to tell me The repetition highlights the control that white people have over history. This repetition creates a feeling of anger in the poem. The tone is therefore one of anger.
Non- Standard English Dialect A dialect is a form of the language that is spoken in a particular part of the country or by a particular group of people. There are many different dialects of English and each one has different vocabulary and grammar. https://www.pexel s.com/photo/antiq ue-call-close-up- communication- 207538 /
Enjambment The word enjambment comes from the French enjambement, which means to step over, or put legs across. The term as a literary device refers to the practice of running lines of poetry from one to the next without using any kind of punctuation to indicate a stop (periods, commas, etc.)
Enjambment There is no punctuation in the poem. Agard chooses to reject the rules of punctuation which represents how he is rejecting white history too.
Examples of Metaphors Toussaint de thorn To de French Toussant de beacon Of de Haitian Revolution I carving out me identity Bandage up me eye with me own history
How does Agard highlight the heroism of the Black historical figures? The sections about each of the Black heroes are filled with metaphor and positive imagery to convince the reader about how amazing these people are. Agard uses italics to further highlight their importance.
Examples of Irony Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat But Toussaint L ’ Ouverture No dem never tell me bout dat We learn all about fictional characters at school, but never learn about the real black hero, Toussaint.
Bridging Text and Context John Agard was born in Guyana, South America in
