half caste Flashcards
structure
Half-caste is a term
used to describe people of mixed race or
ethnicity. In a number of countries across the
world, including Australia and New Zealand, it is
seen as a deeply offensive term, whilst in countries like the
UK, it is seen increasingly as an offensive term, due to the fact
that it implies that someone is ‘half-pure’ (with the white half
being the ‘pure’ half). The National Union of Journalists have
stated that the term is considered offensive today.
language
Colloquial Language, Accent and Slang – Agard
utilises his own ‘voice’ – that of a black man of Caribbean
heritage raised in the UK. This includes features of his accent
and rhythms of his speech patterns. One example is in
replacing ‘the’ with ‘de.’ He also replaces the pronoun ‘you’
with the sharper ‘yu’ or ‘u’. The heavier ‘d’ and ‘u’ sounds add
more of a stress to the beat throughout the poem. The
inclusion of these features also helps to bring the speaker’s
voice to life, giving the poem its power and authenticity.
structure
The poem appears to be split into two main
halves. In the opening half of the poem, Agard uses a range
of humerous analogies to show that the word ‘half-caste’ has
no meaning. In the second half of the poem, the speaker
sarcastically discusses being half a person. He ends by asking
the reader to use their ‘whole mind’ before addressing him.
how the conflict is presented
compares the English weather to being half-caste, saying the mix of sun and clouds in the sky is always present in England.
