checking out me history Flashcards
(10 cards)
message
to show corrupt power of british imperialism
celebrates education an didentity
shows importance of black history being taugth within british schools
context
education has a eurocentric view
he was in guyana as a student which was a british colony so he was under british descisions and education enforcments
form
oral history
phonetic spelling etc. reflects importance of this being passed on in the way it should be understood, from the point of view of those who made the history
rhyme
the rhyme forces white and black historical figures together “baloon…moon…spoon…nanny de maroon”
rhyme builds up to emophasise importance of final rhyme which is alwasy black historical figures
makes us stop and pause on them as they are at end of stanza
enjambment
“dem tell me bout… / but dem never tell me”
overflowing of anger across lines
the names belong in the same sentence as white history
repetition
“dem tell me”
emphasises anger at education system
rhyme scheme of the spoken stanzas vs sung
simple nursery like rhyme schemes and nursery rhyme references when speaking about white history
juxtaposes the stanzas on black history which have complex, free verse rhyme schemes
metaphor at start vs end
start: “bandage up me eye with me own history” - preventing someone from understanding and learning about their own identity whilst bandage has medical connotations as if it is something to be healed
end: “carving out me own identity”
carving is a strenous verb, he must actively seek out his own identity and work hard to overcome the norms of education system
last stanza is about…
himself. no longer about other history symbolising his new found identity and its importance
phonetic spelling and lack of punctuation
refusal to conform to rules of english langiuage
standing against control of domineering english communication
forces us to acknowledge black history
refusal to obide by societies restrictions set on him
