Structure

• How does the structure show that the power of humans is confining?

  Agard uses structure to show that the power of humans is confining by highlighting how education controlled what history was taught. The white history stanzas are written in a rigid rhyme scheme and childish tone, symbolising how those in power fed the speaker limited and unimportant knowledge. In contrast, the Black history sections use free verse and irregular structure, visually and emotionally breaking free from this control. This contrast shows how power was used to restrict identity and truth, but also how resisting structure becomes a form of reclaiming freedom.
• How does the structure of Checking out Me History show Agard is angered by the limited black history that is taught?

  Agard uses the structure of the poem to express his anger at the false and limited version of history he was taught. The repeated phrase “Dem tell me” creates a harsh, accusatory tone that shows his frustration with those in power who controlled his education. The rigid rhyme and childish tone in the white history stanzas mock the lack of seriousness in the history he was given. In contrast, the Black history stanzas are written in free verse and stand out visually on the page, showing Agard’s passion for the truth and his anger at how it was hidden. This structural contrast highlights his rage at being denied knowledge of his own identity and heritage.
• How does the structure of Checking Out Me History show that Agard is willing to claim his identity?

  Agard uses the structure of the poem to show his determination to reclaim his identity. The poem contrasts rigid, rhyming stanzas about white historical figures with free verse stanzas about Black heroes. The free verse stands out on the page and breaks away from the restricted structure, symbolising Agard breaking free from the false version of history he was taught. These stanzas are also filled with powerful imagery and are often italicised, giving them more importance and emotional strength. This shift in structure shows that Agard is actively rejecting the history forced upon him and is instead claiming his own cultural identity with pride and confidence.
• How does the structure of Checking Out Me History show that Agard lost his identity?

  Agard uses the structure of the poem to show how the education system caused him to lose his identity. The repeated phrase “Dem tell me” creates a rhythmic, chant-like structure that shows how history was drilled into him without choice, emphasising how controlled and limited his learning was. The stanzas about white historical figures are written in tight rhyme and a childish tone, reflecting how irrelevant information replaced meaningful cultural knowledge. In contrast, the Black history stanzas appear later in the poem, are fragmented, and written in free verse—visually separated from the rest. This contrast shows how his true identity was hidden and only gradually rediscovered, suggesting that it was lost due to the power of those who controlled the curriculum.