checking out me history- john agard

• "dem tell me" -oppressive power -strong sense of voice
• "bandage up me eye with me own history" -metaphor
• "blind me of my own history" -historically injustices to marginalised groups has been covered up
• "but toussaint L'Ouvature no dem never tell me bout dat" -black leader of the Haitian revolution against french colonists -highlight how significant events have been hid
• "a slave with vision" -a visionary/pioneer
• "even the cow who jump over de moon" -taught even fairy tales at the expense of suppressed black history (in place of white/ eurocentric history)
• "never tell me bout Nancy de maroon" -helped lead maroons in jamaica / helped black slaves escape under british rule
• " a see-far woman" -hopeful/ determined/ optimist
• "dem tell me wah dem want to tell me" -accusatory quality
• "i carving out me identity" -empowered -circular structure but with more empowered tone -forceful
• themes: -racism -oppression -identity
• language: -accusatory language/ provokative
• tone: -accusatory -unapologetic
• context: -black suppressed history -contemporary performance poet (spoken language)
• form and structure: -free verse used as a vehicle for protest
• power and conflict: - reclaiming identity -oppression