Checkin Out Me History John Agard

Learning Objectives (AQA) AO1: respond to texts critically and imaginatively, select and evaluate textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations. AO2: explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings.

History Who decides which parts of human history we learn at school? Is some history more important than others?

Checkin Out Me History Dem tell me Wha dem want to tell me Bandage up me eye with me own history Blind me to me own identity Repetition Non standard English

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 Date of Battle Of Hastings Mediaeval mayor Of London – subject Of pantomime. C18th leader of Haitian Revolution Opposites – dem tell me bout/ dem never tell me bout Who does ‘dem’ refer to?

Toussaint a slave with vision lick back Napoleon battalion and first Black Republic born Toussaint de thorn to de French Toussaint de beacon of de Haitian Revolution Italics used in this stanza Half rhyme

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 de spoon but dem never tell me bout Nanny de maroon Western European history Nursery rhyme characters Legendary C18th rebel and Escaped slave in Jamaica Why are historical figures mixed with nursery rhyme characters and Characters from children’s stories?

Nanny see-far woman of mountain dream fire-woman struggle hopeful stream to freedom river Images of a powerful woman Words showing hope brought by Nanny to Jamaican slaves.

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 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 Zulu chief, united many southern African tribes Native peoples of West Indies Jamaican nurse who served in Crimean War

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 Most poetic stanza and uses more Standard English than other stanzas

Dem tell me Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me But now I checkin out me own history I carving out me identity Intention to take control away from those who taught him What are the connotations of this verb?

Importance of black history Do you recognise any of these people? Look for clues in the poem.

Dramatic Monologue A piece of verse that gives the speaker a voice to express his/her feelings to a silent audience. What are the feelings and opinions that John Agard is expressing in ‘Checkin Out Me History’?

Form and Structure 1. Which lines or stanzas stand out? 2. Why do they stand out? 3. What is the impact of these lines or stanzas? 4. Look at stanzas 3,4,5 & 6 – what is similar about them? 5. Why is that?

Character & Voice Who is being given a voice in this poem?