“Checking Out Me History” By John Agard

Complete the following chart by ticking one of each of the boxes on the right: Heard of Never heard of Not sure The battle which took place in 1066 Dick Whittington and his cat Henry Cavendish discovered hydrogen = gas balloon The cow who jumped over the moon Lord Nelson The Battle of Waterloo Christopher Columbus The Caribbean Florence Nightingale Robin Hood Old King Cole Toussaint L’Ouverture Nanny de Maroon Shaka the Zulu king The Caribs and the Arawaks Mary Seacole

Any ideas why you probably haven’t heard of: The Caribs and the Arawaks Nanny de Maroon Mary Seacole Toussaint L’Ouverture Shaka the Zulu king

Quick History Lesson! Nanny de Maroon Maroon is a general term used to describe black slaves who escaped from slavery and lived in remote places within the areas they had been transported to. Nanny de Maroon led the Maroons to victory in Jamaica against British rule.

Quick History Lesson! Mary Seacole A Jamaican nurse who saved the lives of countless wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Originally she applied to the London War Office in the hope of being sent the front lines where she could apply her skills as a nurse and healer, but was refused. Undeterred she packed up her things, borrowed some money and went anyway, quickly establishing herself as one of the great heroines of the war, hence her nickname ‘Mother Seacole’. Sadly, she returned to England almost penniless. Although she was publicly honoured alongside Florence Nightingale, another selfless nurse of the Crimean War, she only survived through the charity of friends and was largely forgotten after her death.

Toussaint L’Ouverture Quick History Lesson! Toussaint L’Ouverture The leader of the Haitian revolution against French Colonial rule. He abolished slavery in Haiti and turned it into an independent republic.

Quick History Lesson! Shaka the Zulu king An influential leader of the Zulu nation. He united the Zulu people against other tribes and the increasing presence of the white settlers.

The Caribs and the Arawaks Quick History Lesson! The Caribs and the Arawaks The original inhabitants of the West Indies at the time when Columbus ‘discovered’ the islands. They were killed off by the war or through exposure to European diseases that they had no immunity to.

Quick Reminder! 1066 = crucial to English history as it marked the take over of English society by the French. Lord Nelson = famous English admiral who inflicted a massive defeat on the French which meant the British Empire was strengthened. The Battle of Waterloo 1815 = the final defeat of the French army led by Napoleon which made Britain a world super power Dick Whittington = a poor boy with nothing but a cat who became Lord Mayor of London – mentioned in fairy tales and pantomimes

Quick Reminder! Florence Nightingale = a famous British nurse. Famous for her work in the Crimean War and her innovations in hygiene. Crimean War = 1854-56 Russian Empire vs Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. Lots of deaths occurred from fighting but also from outbreaks of disease. Robin Hood = legendary English hero made famous from supposedly stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Old King Cole and The Cow Jumped Over the Moon = nursery rhymes

“Checking Out Me History” Written by John Agard John Agard was born in British Guiana (now called Guyana) in the Caribbean, in 1949. He moved to the UK in the late 1970s and is well known for powerful and fun performances of his work. He uses non-standard phonetic spelling (written as a word sounds) to represent his own accent, and writes about what it is like being black to challenge racist attitudes, especially those which are unthinking.

Let’s read the poem through

What do the following mean? Dem - Me - Bout - Dat - Lick back - De – See-far woman – -Them -My -About -That -Defeated -Of -A woman who has a vision of the future

Brief notes about the poem This poem draws on Agard's experience to make us look at the way history is taught, and at how we conceive our identity as we learn about cultural traditions and narratives. It becomes clear that Agard had to follow a history curriculum biased towards whites, especially British whites, so that he learned about mythical, nursery rhyme characters instead of living black people from the past. He challenges this view of history and cites some major black figures to balance the bias and create a basis for his own identity.

Stanza one… Agard believes that if you control what people learn about the past, then you can control how people think and what they think about themselves The repetition highlights the control that white people have over history Dem tell me Wha dem want to tell me First person speaker has a strong Carribean-British identity. However, pronouns ‘dem’ and ‘me’ are juxtaposed to illustrate his separateness from the traditional British educational system. These three words are used at the start of all the stanzas that rhyme

Stanza two… The plosive ‘b’ alliteration creates an angry tone and starts each line, showing that Agard believes that information has been deliberately distorted and hidden The use of non-standard English is used to show his own culture and background which he feels is not acknowledged by the English Curriculum Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity Metaphors of blindness and vision are present throughout the poem. When Agard writes 'bandage up me eye with me own history / Blind me to my own identity' the image he presents is of a person being blinded of their own history, their own background. Moreover, the image of the bandage connotes injury and the violence implicit in the word 'blind' suggests that the speaker in the poem has been forcibly restricted from accessing or understanding their own history which is why he or she is 'blind to their own identity'. In other words - how can you know who you are without knowing your own history?

Stanza three… This quatrain is repeated throughout the poem – in each one a different famous white figure is mentioned. Each quatrain usually ends with the mention of a black historical figure who isn’t taught about. Dem tell me bout 1066 and all dat dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat But Toussaint L’Ouverture no dem never tell me bout dat The childish rhyme shows how he feels about what he has been told about the past – this is why he mentions characters from nursery rhymes and myth – he is mocking what he has been told. The simplistic rhyme trivialises that history.

Stanza four… These longer verses serve to concentrate on someone famous in black history The mocking tone is not apparent in these sections. They are italicised so that they stand out visually The lines are shorter and they are written in free verse – Agard is using an unconventional form to write about unconventional ideas Toussaint a slave with vision lick back Napolean battalion and first Black Republic born Toussaint de thorn to de French Toussaint de beacon of de Haitian Revolution These sections are filled with metaphor and positive imagery to convince the reader about how amazing these people are. The metaphors of light contrast with the blindness created by formal education. The use of occasional rhyme in these sections is irregular

Stanza five… Note the lack of punctuation in the whole poem. Agard is choosing to reject the rules of punctuation – the poem is therefore purposefully full of enjambment – this represents how he is rejecting white history too Dem tell me bout de man who discover de balloon and de cow who jump over de moon Dem tell me bout de dish ran away with the spoon but dem never tell me bout Nanny de maroon Simplistic language contrasts with the more complex and imagery-rich language to describe historical Caribbean figures.

Stanza six… This language is unusual, original and unconventional. Nanny see-far woman of mountain dream fire-woman struggle hopeful stream to freedom river The metaphors create a positive image of Nanny. She is presented as visionary, inspirational. She is also associated with nature to show that she is connected to the land of her birth. She represents origins and growth.

Stanza seven… Dem tell me bout Lord Nelson and Waterloo but dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492 but what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too Contrast emphasises that there is always more than one version of history.

Stanza eight… By linking Florence Nightingale with folklore and nursery rhyme, it undermines her achievements. The ‘she lamp’ seems trivial compared to the powerful, natural light of Mary Seacole. Dem tell me bout Florence Nightingale and she lamp And how Robin Hood used to camp Dem tell me bout ole King Cole was a merry ole soul but dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole

Stanza nine… From Jamaica she travel far to the Crimean War she volunteer to go and even when de British said no she still brave the Russian snow a healing star among the wounded a yellow sunrise to the dying Verbs reflect her bold actions. This metaphor describes Mary Seacole in a positive light – a yellow sunrise is full of hope and promise for the dying

Stanza ten… The repetition of ‘dem tell me’ could represent how Agard felt nagged when he was at school Here the second line highlights how angry Agard is. Dem tell Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me But now I checking out me own history I carving out me identity The final two lines show how strongly identity and independence are associated with truth. The verb ‘carving’ might suggest how he is now more confident in shaping himself and connecting with his culture. Now that he knows about Toussaint, Nanny de Maroon and Mary Seacole, he feels he is able to understand something about the culture he comes from.

The poem… Is cleverly constructed to reclaim black identity Makes the reader aware that (white) British history is only a point of view Introduces the reader to famous black people Reminds us that whoever controls the past, controls the present

The poem… Cleverly uses two types of stanza to show the differences between ‘official’ and ‘non-official’ history Shows that without a history and without a distinctive voice we may have no identity

Structure: “Checking Out Me History” alternates between two structures, marked by two different fonts. The first uses the repeated phrase "Dem tell me" to indicate the white version of history, mostly written in rhyming couplets, triplets or quatrains. Interspersed are the stories of three black historical figures: Toussaint L'Overture, Nanny de Maroon and Mary Seacole, told using abbreviated syntax with words missed out, shorter lines and an irregular rhyme scheme.

Sound: Agard uses variations in spelling to suggest Caribbean dialect, especially replacing 'th' with 'd'. This stresses the importance of carving out his "own identity". There is repetition - particularly of "Dem tell me" - throughout the poem, creating a sense of rhythm. End rhyme is heavily used, emphasised by adapted sections of nursery rhymes: the dish who ran away with the spoon, and Old King Cole, for example.

Imagery: In the "Dem tell me" sections the poet refers to nursery rhyme characters and other non-historical people, like Robin Hood or the cow who jumped over the moon. Even "1066 and all dat", which might appear to be an historical reference, is probably citing a humorous book (published in 1930) famous for its irreverent parody of histories of England. There's a suggestion that the version of history taught to the poet is not exactly accurate even before you consider that black people have been completely left out. The sections on individual black historical figures contain stronger imagery, with use of nature metaphors to powerful effect. Toussaint L'Overture is a "thorn" and a "beacon". Nanny de Maroon is linked with a mountain, fire and rivers. Mary Seacole is described in dramatic imagery as a "healing star" and a "yellow sunrise" to the patients she treats. All three are associated with light - "beacon", "fire-woman" and "star" - suggesting that they play metaphorical roles, illuminating the poet's true historical identity.

Attitudes, themes and ideas: What kind of tone does the poem have? Like the structure, the tone also divides into two. The "Dem tell me" sections have an accusatory, rebellious tone to them, created by repetition and short lines at the beginning. Whereas the sections on Toussaint L'Overture, Nanny de Maroon and Mary Seacole are celebratory in tone, emphasised by images of nature and using epic (out of the ordinary) vocabulary - words like "vision", "see-far" and "star". It is a poem that challenges us to consider the meaning of history, how we come to know about the past and accept versions of history. The poet might be provoking us to "check out" our own histories, particularly if they include periods or important figures not taught in schools.

Sample question In your exam you will be asked to compare a certain aspect of one poem with another. In order to do this, we need to get to know this poem a bit better by considering one of its main aspects. What follows is a sample question which concentrates on one feature of the poem and an answer (not necessarily complete!) to the question.

How is the narrator's voice created in Checking Out Me History? Non-standard spelling is used to create the impression of an accent. Lots of repetition makes for a strong voice. In particular the words "Dem tell me" suggest an assertive, even aggressive voice. The sections about black historical figures feature a change in tone, with natural imagery and vocabulary such as "see-far", suggesting a celebratory tone. The use of rhyme in the "Dem tell me" sections creates a sing-song tone that - combined with the use of nursery rhymes - suggests the narrator's contempt for the white version of history. The last line "But now I checking out me own history" suggests determination in the narrator's voice, and a sense that things are going to change.