Checking Out Me History

• AO3:

  • John Agard was born in Guyana, a Carribean country in South America, but he moved to Britain in 1977.
  • His poetry often examines cultures and identities and this poem was published in 2007.
• Overview:

  In this poem, the speaker is talking about his identity and how it links to his knowledge of history. He was taught British History at school but not about his Caribbean roots. He lists famous figures from history and questions why he does not know those from other cultures who did great things. In the poem, he mentions men and women from other cultures who should be remembered and celebrated, and he concludes by saying he is going to create his own identity based on his heritage.
• "Dem tell me"

  • Repetition
  • Phonetic spelling of Carribean accent

  The repetition of ‘Dem’ emphasises the separation the speaker feels between the British education system and himself. The use of the phonetic spelling supports this as it creates a sense of the speaker’s voice and suggests he feels pride in his heritage and background.
• "Bandage up me eye with me own history. Blind me to me own identity"

  • Imagery
  • Metaphors

  The use of the word ‘bandage’ here is ironic as bandages are associated with healing but here, it has been used to prevent him from seeing his own history and identity. It makes the attempt to prevent him from seeing his identity seem deliberate. The fact he is them ‘blinded’ emphasises this and suggests a long lasting effect.
• "Dem tell me about Lord Nelson and Waterloo, but dem never tell me about Shaka de great Zulu" 


  • Contrasts British historical figure with those from other cultures.

  The contrasts between the historical figures emphasises the differences between them. The British figures are glossed over quickly whereas those from other cultures are explored in more detail, showing the poet feels they deserve more respect.
• Aspects of Power and Conflict:

  • Poet feels angry about the limited version of history he has been taught.
  • the poet explores the power of humans over others.
  • The poem explores conflict with the speaker's identity.
• Poems that can be linked:

  • My Last Duchess
  • London
  • Tissue