What is the meaning of the poem half-caste?
The speaker opens the poem by taking the term “half-caste” literally, joking that being half-caste means the speaker is stuck “standing on one leg.” The imagery suggests a person who is lacking in some way—incomplete—and thus underscores the racist thinking behind the term “half-caste.” This idea of only being half a …
What language techniques are used in the poem half-caste?
The language of the poem is a mixture of Caribbean dialect and formal British English – the poet at one point says in Caribbean dialect: ‘Ah lookin at yu wid de keen half of mih eye’, but at another in standard English: ‘Consequently when I dream I dream half-a-dream’.
Why does John Agard use repetition in half-caste?
Agard also utilizes repetition throughout his passages, constantly asking the person to whom he’s speaking to “explain yuself/what yu mean/when yu say half-caste…” before giving his examples of what the term “half-caste” could possibly mean.
What is the tone of half-caste?
The poem is like a challenge addressed to someone who holds prejudiced views. Agard repeatedly tells the person to ‘explain yuself’, and asks them ‘what yu mean’ when they use the term ‘half-caste’. The tone is confrontational, angry.
What is the message of checking out me history?
The poem suggests the colonial syllabus deliberately blinded colonized people to their own histories, and argues that only by re-learning their history can these people can fully understand and embrace their identities. Get the entire guide to “Checking Out Me History” as a printable PDF.
What does dem tell me mean?
Dem tell me / Wha dem want to tell me. Straight away, Agard begins his poem with a stark contrast between himself and the oppressive British education system through the exclusive pronoun “Dem” (‘them’) and his personal pronoun “me”, foregrounding the poem’s themes of identity and opposition.
What is the poem tissue about?
The poem ‘Tissue’ by Imtiaz Dharker reveals the power of a paper, and how one can use it for many different things. It is about the fragility and power of humanity, which is used as an extended metaphor throughout the poem. These examples demonstrate how important but also how fragile paper is.
What does Toussaint de Beacon mean?
Toussaint de beacon. The hopeful metaphorical noun “beacon” stands as a direct contrast to the ‘blinding’ experienced by Agard earlier in the poem, adding to a semantic field of light and illumination alongside “vision”, “see-far woman”, “fire-woman”, “star” and “yellow sunrise”.
Who is Toussaint de Thorn?
Toussaint was a metaphorical thorn in France’s side, and the powerful leader of the Haitian Revolution. The speaker says more about was taught by the British, this time alluding to even more trivial things like the man who invented the balloon and popular English nursery rhymes.