Injury-like connotations which implies that the speaker feels he has been hurt by his sheltered upbringing

a bandage should heal, not handicap. alliteration and plosives emphasise key themes - importance of knowing your own history.

monosyllabic emphasises the separation of "dem" and "me". he writes in his own identity, spelling out his accent to bind to his heritage and contrast with British

The use of repetition creates an accusatory tone, showing the speaker's anger.

Mirrors rote learning and it could be inferred that Agard had to rote learn the history he was taught due to its lack of personal relevance to him. It also creates an oppressive tone to the teaching of history

Each stanza begins with "Dem tell me" which shows how colonial control has dominated his life in the same way it has dominated the poem. The repetition could also be interpreted to allude to Agard's empathetic desire to have his message heard

Mary Seacole is now a well known figure in history for her groundbreaking work improving hygiene in hospital words in Crimea. She fought against oppression in order to help others and returned to live in poverty. Seacole is less well known than Nightingale but arguably did more than her which is an example of everyday, casual racism.