checking out me history Flashcards
(54 cards)
What does the repetition of ‘Dem’ and ‘me’ create in the poem?
A sense of them and us
This emphasizes the separation between the narrator and the British education system.
What is the significance of the image of the bandage in the poem?
It is ironic — bandages should aid healing, but here they cause blindness
This serves as a metaphor for the narrator being unable to see his own history.
What effect does the succession of short lines have on the poem’s pace?
It slows the pace, suggesting the narrator is breaking off to recall a memory.
What do strong rhymes and broken syntax indicate in the poem?
The importance of the narrator’s message.
How does the poem link vision to the character of Nanny?
Nanny is described as a see-far woman, suggesting she can see into the future.
What does the poem suggest about the narrative of history taught to the narrator?
It presents only one version of history, that of the colonists.
Name two figures from British folklore mentioned in the poem.
- Dick Whittington
- Robin Hood
Who is Toussaint L’Ouverture?
A ruler who led the slaves to victory in the Haitian Revolution.
Who is Nanny de Maroon?
Leader of the Maroons (runaway slaves), who led Jamaican resistance against the British.
What does the phrase ‘Dem tell me’ signify in the poem?
It reflects the repeated assertion of what the narrator was told.
Fill in the blank: Mary Seacole is a Jamaican nurse who helped the sick in the _______.
Crimean War.
What does the poem imply about the significance of British historical figures like Florence Nightingale?
It undermines their importance and links them to trivial folklore.
How does the narrator express his anger regarding his education?
By repeating phonetic lines and emphasizing what he was not taught.
What does the narrator intend to do with his own history?
He plans to carve out his identity.
True or False: The poem celebrates only British history.
False.
What does the metaphor of the ‘healing star’ suggest about Mary Seacole?
It links her to the wider universe and the wounded.
What contrasting imagery is used in the poem regarding education?
Images of light and vision contrast with the blindness of formal education.
Who is Shaka, as mentioned in the poem?
An influential Zulu leader.
What does the poem suggest about the relationship between heritage and personal identity?
The repeated phrasing shows they are connected.
What literary device is used to make British history seem trivial?
Nursery rhymes.
Who is John Agard?
John Agard was born in Guyana and moved to Britain in 1977.
He published ‘Checking Out Me History’ in 2007.
What is the central theme of ‘Checking Out Me History’?
The narrator’s identity and its link to his knowledge of history.
He explores the lack of representation of Caribbean roots in education.
What does the narrator question in the poem?
Why he doesn’t know about people from other cultures who did great things.
He lists famous figures from history.
How does the poem’s form differ between Caribbean and British history stanzas?
Caribbean history stanzas have shorter lines and more broken syntax.
British history stanzas have simple rhymes, sounding childish.
