Checking OMH 🧠

• Agard


  Born in Guyana, brought up in the UK
• Agard was only educated on Eurocentric history, not his own
• Agard was denied his cultural identity


  As he saw his country become independent
• Anaphora creates an angered nature and opposition between Agard and 'dem'
• Assonance 'dem tell' creates rhythm and makes a political point
• The child-like tone is aimed at both children and adults
• 'Dem' shows Agard is opposing them by overcoming them by naming them in his own dialect
• Repetition of 'me' symbolises the experiences of all immigrants from Africa and Afro-Caribbean
• Agard's own history blinded him as only the negative side of slavery and British involvement was taught
• The positive side of history is kept away from him and he is made blind to it
• The form changes to more free verse and frequent rhymes when talking about Afro-Caribbean history, emphasising personal and cultural freedom compared to the restrictive life in the UK
• Toussaint, a slave, is compared to the great dictator Napoleon, highlighting how a slave is more powerful than a conqueror
• This symbolises how Agard believes he can overpower the European historical perspective
• Agard brings to light the history of the Caribs and Arawaks that was erased, highlighting the victims of European colonialism
• The poem is to heal us and change our view of the world
• The change in tone shows Agard feels empowered as he carves out his own history and identity
• The ending couplet symbolises a happy ending, with Agard talking as a role model to Afro-Caribbean migrants
• Structure elements


  • Irregular rhyme
  • Enjambment - angry tone
  • Captures rhyme and allent
• “Dem tell me

  Dem tell me

  Wha dem want to tell me”
• “Bandage up me eye with me own history”
• “Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492“ “but what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too”
• “A healing star”
• “But now i checking out me own history, carving out me history “