GCSE Poetry- Checking Out Me History
Structure
Form
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The British Empire
Britain wins the Napoleonic war against the French Empire and start to get more countries
Indian people rebel against the East India Company (British owned) and start a war
Company expands, becomes rich and takes over other places
British army crushes rebellion and Queen Victoria takes over the country
England move to Asia as well- East India Company (trade in tea and biscuits)
Britain fights the Dutch for rule over South Africa (Boer war)
Captain Cook discovered Australia
By the time WW1 happens, Britain rules over 1/3 of Africa
America fight for their independence- war starts
Britain wins and gains more land
This establishes a British Empire
Australia, Canada and Egypt want to be recognised as equal countries- leave empire
Stuart times- England go back across the Atlantic and claim Canada, Caribbean and the East Coast of America
Britain loses money and cannot control other countries
He leaves and does not get anyone to take over- he dies
India leaves empire
Enforces English ways
Lots of countries leave: Ireland, Sudan, Cyprus, South Africa, Malta, Fiji, Hong Kong, ect
1583- Humphrey Gilbert arrives in Newfoundland
Recap Points
Caribbean history stanzas have shorter lines and broken syntax- emphasises them and make them seem more serious
British history stanzas have simple rhyme- make them appear childish
Mixture of stanza forms- suggesting he is breaking the confining language rules he has been taught
British figures are skipped over quickly and the Caribbean figures have more detail
Poem alternates between historical and fictional figures from Caribbean and British culture- emphasising the difference between them
Stanzas reflect the segregation of white and black history/people
Rhyme scheme mixes white and black history together to desegregate
Repetition and form suggests we need to remember what we are learning from the poem
Oral poetry
Names end on the last line of each stanza to show importance
Theme of power and identity- power can be used to shape identity
Poem ends on "I" to show Agard's importance and journey
Poetry often focuses on ethnicity and identity
Intertextual references used to convey a message- childish and fictional shows lack of importance
1977- moved to Britain
Westernised/eurocentric view of history is a fairytale- leaving out the harsh reality
1949- born in Guyana, South America
Lack of punctuation highlights Agard's refusal to be confined/rejects British culture
John Agard
His poetry often concerns his struggle to find a sense of identity
Moved to Britain in 1977
Has mixed race origins
Was born in the Caribbean in 1949
Key Quotes
"I carving out me identity"
"Dem tell me"
"Blind me to me own identity"
Quick Summary
He feels that Western education doesn't explore black history enough. He is being denied access to his identity/culture resulting in a loss of identity/anger
Key Themes
Identity
Pride
Anger
Power of man