Checking Out Me History

Question 1

Why are italics used?

Answer 1

Used to seperate the distinct stanzas regarding european history and figures in black history
- a way of distancing / coping
- turn of tables - teaches people about HIS history
- short lines to emphasise the content - makes reader slow down and truly understand

Question 2

“vision” “beacon” “hopeful” “freedom” “star”

Answer 2

• semantic field of light/hope

Question 3

“Dem tell me about 1066 and all dat”

Answer 3

“All dat” - dismissive - angry about the limited history he got taught

Question 4

Why is there NO punctuation throughout?

Answer 4

• Agard refuses to follow educarion system - refuses society
• this also enables the reader to read or interpret it however they want and not live by set/fixed rules you’ve been taught - allowing them to ‘carv[e] out [their] identity’
• could also represent the things he lacked/missed in his education
• embraces heritage

Question 5

“de cow who jump over de moon”

Answer 5

• connotations of nursery rhymes
• ^ not related to his history - insignificant to him
• emphasised by regular rhyme scheme ABAB - rhyming

Question 6

What does “bandage up me own eye with me own history/blind me to my own identity” mean?

Answer 6

• oppressive education
• prohibiting him from learning about his heritage

Question 7

Significance of last line?

Answer 7

“I carving out me identity”
- constrast which they increase a sense of oppression
- carving involves effort x hard