1. AO1 – Understand meaning, message and purpose of the poem.
Subject Terminology (AO2)
Checking Out Me History
Colloquialism
Syntax
John Agard
“Bandage up me own eyes with me history”
“I carving out me identity”
Think!
Think about what you have learned in history. Which historical events do you recall most clearly? Why do you think this is?
Challenge!
Look carefully at the title of the poem. What does the word ‘me’ tell you about the author and the poem?
AO3 – Develop an understanding of the influence of the writer’s context.
AO2 - Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
AO1 – Understand meaning, message and purpose of the poem.

2. John Agard Create a short fact file about the author! (AO3)
How does his background influence his poetry?
John Agard was born in British Guiana (now called Guyana) in the Caribbean, in 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.
The theme of cultural identity is one that he explores widely in his work. Coming from Guyana, with its history of slavery and colonisation, gives his feelings about ‘them’ and ‘us’ even more power.
Agard grew up in the West Indies and moved to Britain in 1977 to follow his dream of becoming an author.
His favourite place to write is down the pub with a Guinness!

3. What’s it all about then?
The narrator is talking about his identity and how it links to the knowledge of history.
He was taught about British history but wasn’t taught about his Caribbean roots. He lists famous figures from history and questions why he doesn’t know people from different cultures who did great things.
He mentions men and women from diverse backgrounds who should be celebrated.
At the end he says he’s going to create his own identity based on his heritage.

4. Checking 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
What is the effect of the repetition?
Why does Agard write ‘dem’ instead of them? What is the effect?
How does this link to the theme of identity?
What are bandages usually associated with? What does this create a sense of?
What is this an example of? What is the effect?

5. Why does Agard use this pantomime as an example?
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
1. What does the phrase ‘all dat’ suggest about his feelings towards British history?
2. Who does Agard mean by ‘dem’?
3. Dick Whittington is a pantomime. How does this add to your understanding of the poet’s tone?
4. Double negative. What is the effect?
5. What does the word ‘but’ suggest?
Toussaint L’Ouverture was a black ruler who led the slaves to victory in the Haitian revolution.

6. of de Haitian Revolution
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
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.
1. What does the breaking off the line suggest?
2. What is this an example of? What is the effect?
3.What do the words ‘beacon’ and ‘vision’ connote in comparison to the blindness of the bandages?
4. Identify the rhymes in this section.
5. What does the word ‘battalion’ suggest? Where is the conflict in this poem?

7. 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
Why does Agard include a nursery rhyme as part of British history? What is he suggesting?
Why does Agard feel a sense of injustice?
Queen Nanny or Nanny, Jamaican National Hero, was a well-known, 18th-century leader of the Jamaican Maroons. Much of what is known about her comes from oral history, as little textual evidence exists.

8. Nanny
see-far woman
of mountain dream
fire-woman struggle
hopeful stream
to freedom river
What does the phrase ‘see far’ suggest?
What are the connotations of fire?
How does this present the character?
Why is she associated with nature?
Why is it a ‘struggle’?

9. 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
Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté KB was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy.
How does Agard show that there is more than one version to history? What does he feel has been left out?
What is the significance of the historical figures in this section?
How does he make Florence Nightingale seem basic? What is the effect?

10. 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
Mary Jane Seacole OM was a Jamaican woman who set up the British Hotel behind the lines during the Crimean War to help British soldiers.
What does this tell us about Mary Seacole?
What is this an example of?
What does this image suggest?
Why is this significant?

11. Dem tell me
Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me
But now I checking out me own history
I carving out me identity
Here Agard repeats phonetic lines from the first stanza. What tone does this repetition create?
What does Agard say he is going to do? Why does he end the poem in this way?

12. 1 KEY THEMES Find quotations which support each key theme (AO1). Anger
Admiration
Celebration
EXT: Explain their effect on the reader (AO2)