Half-caste Flashcards
Meaning
-challenge to those who hold prejudiced views
-highlights the ridiculous nature of polarising blacks and whites
Structure
-Direct address
-free verse
-phonetic spelling
-enjambment/little punctuation
-non standard English and creol
Direct address
-Involves the reader with words like excuse me
-evokes more sympathy
Free verse
-Conversational tone
-breaks stereotypical patterns of poetry
Phonetic spelling
-Creates a sense of spoken voice
-reflects his Afro-Caribbean accent
non standard English and creole
-Shows he is celebrating his culture
-Not conforming for others
Enjambment
Suggests an outpouring of emotion
Imagery
Art/ high culture
Sounds
Scenes
Art/ high culture
-Shows he is educated
-people can visualise the absurdity of what he is describing
Sounds
We can literally hear his culture
Scenes
-The creation of scenes means we can visualise the absurdity
-the piano scene
Language
-Imperatives
-colloquial language
-antithesis/ Volta
-rhetorical questions
-metaphor
Imperatives
-confidence
-not shy
Colloquial language
-conversational tone
-sincerity
-subverts traditional poetry traditions
-conversational rhythm
Antithesis/ Volta
-shows he is willing to help others learn
-end of the poem, tricolon, anaphoric
-passionate climax of poem shows strength of speaker’s views
