Checking Out Me History

Checking Out Me History John Agard

Read the poem through

Important things to know… 1066 = crucial to English history as it marked the take over of English society by the French. Dick Whittington = a poor boy with nothing but a cat who became Lord Mayor of London – mentioned in fairy tales and pantomimes TouissantL’Ouverture= the black leader of the Haitian revolution against French Colonial rule. He abolished slavery in Haiti and turned it into an independent republic Nanny de Maroon = (Maroon is a general term used to describe black slaves who escaped from slavery and lived in remote places within the areas they had been transported to. Nanny de Maroon led the maroons to victory in Jamaica against British rule. Lord Nelson = famous English admiral who inflicted a massive defeat on the French which meant the British Empire was strengthened. The Battle of Waterloo 1815 = the final defeat of the French army led by Napoleon which made Britain a world super power

Shaka = an influential leader of the Zulu nation. He united the Zulu people against other tribes and the increasing presence of the white settlers Caribs and Arawaks= the original inhabitants of the West Indies at the time when Columbus ‘discovered’ the islands. They were killed off by the war or through exposure to European diseases that they had no immunity to. Florence Nightingale = a famous British nurse. Famous for her work in the Crimean War and her innovations in hygiene. Robin Hood = legendary English hero made famous from supposedly stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Mary Seacolewas a Jamaican woman who looked after soldiers in the same way that Nightingale did – a black woman who made a unique contribution to our history but has been forgotten. Crimean War = 1854-56 Russian Empire vs Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. Lots of deaths occurred from fighting bit also from outbreaks of disease. Old King Cole and The Cow Jumped Over the Moon = nursery rhymes

What do the following mean? Dem - Me - Bout - Dat- Lick back - De – See-far woman – -Them -My -About -That -Defeated -Of -A woman who has a vision of the future

Brief notes about the poem • Agard is pointing out how in the English Curriculum students only seem to learn about white people because he believes it is written by white people for white people • He believes history in the English Curriculum deliberately leaves out information about black men and women who deserve more recognition

Stanza one… What’s the stanza about? These three words are used at the start of all the stanzas that rhyme Dem tell me Dem tell me Whadem want to tell me Agard believes that if you control what people learn about the past, then you can control how people think and what they think about themselves The repetition highlights the control that white people have over history

Stanza two… The alliteration on ‘b’ at the start of these lines shows that Agard believes that information has been deliberately distorted and hidden The use of the ‘b’ creates an angry tone Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity The use of non-standard English is used to show his own culture and background which he feels is not acknowledged by the English Curriculum What’s the stanza about?

Stanza three… This quatrain is repeated throughout the poem – in each one a different famous white figure is mentioned. Each quatrain usually ends with the mention of a black historical figure who isn’t taught about Dem tell me bout 1066 and all dat dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat But Toussaint L’Ouverture no dem never tell me bout dat The childish rhyme shows how he feels about what he has been told about the past – this is why he mentions characters from nursery rhymes and myth – he is mocking what he has been told What’s the stanza about?

Stanza four… These longer verses serve to concentrate on someone famous in black history Toussaint a slave with vision lick black Napolean battalion and first Black Republic born Toussaint de thorn to de French Toussaint de beacon of de Haitian Revolution The lines are shorter and they are written in free verse – Agard is using an unconventional form to write about unconventional ideas What’s the stanza about? The mocking tone is not apparent in these sections. They are italicised so that they stand out visually These section are filled with metaphor and positive imagery to convince the reader about how amazing these people are The use of occasional rhyme in these sections is irregular

Stanza five… Note the lack of punctuation in the whole poem. Agaradis choosing to reject the rules of punctuation – the poem is therefore purposefully full of enjambment – this represents how he is rejecting white history too Dem tell me bout de man who discover de balloon and de cow who jump over de moon Dem tell me bout de dish ran away with the spoon but dem never tell me bout Nanny de maroon What’s the stanza about?

Stanza six… This language is unusual and original What’s the stanza about? Nanny see-far woman of mountain dream fire-woman struggle hopeful stream to freedom river The metaphors create a positive image of Nanny What do the metaphors suggest to you about Nanny de Maroon?

Stanza seven… What’s the stanza about? Dem tell me bout Lord Nelson and Waterloo but dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu

Stanza eight… Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492 but what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too What’s the stanza about?

Stanza nine… What’s the stanza about? Dem tell me bout Florence Nightingale and she lamp And how Robin Hood used to camp Dem tell me bout ole King Cole was a merry ole soul but dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole

Stanza ten… This metaphor describes Mary Seacole in a positive light – a yellow sunrise is full of hope and promise for the dying From Jamaica she travel far to the Crimean War she volunteer to go and even when de British said no she still brave the Russian snow a healing star among the wounded a yellow sunrise to the dying What’s the stanza about?

Stanza eleven… The repetition of ‘dem tell me’ could represent how Agard felt nagged when he was at school What’s the stanza about? Dem tell Dem tell me whadem want to tell me But now I checking out me own history I carving out me identity Now that he knows about Toussaint; Nanny de Maroon and Mary Seacole he feels he is able to understand something about the culture he comes from Here the second line highlights how angry Agard is

The poem… • Is cleverly constructed to reclaim black identity • Makes the reader aware that British history is only a point of view • Introduces the reader to famous black people • Reminds us that whoever controls the past, controls the present

The poem… • Cleverly uses two types of stanza to show the differences between ‘official’ and ‘non-official’ history • Shows that without a history and without a distinctive voice we may have no identity

Stanza two… Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity

Checking Out Me History