Summary
English Lit: AQA GCSE Poetry - Power & Conflict, topic 14.1.1
Summary of Checking Out Me History
John Agard was born in Guyana in South America. Guyana is connected to the Caribbean. He later moved to England. His work celebrates his heritage and challenges racist views in society.
British curriculum
- The poem challenges the way British history teaching is so heavily focused on European history.
- It advocates for the inclusion of influential black figures in history teaching.
Defining history
- The poem explores the idea of humans’ power to shape and define history according to their own agendas.
- Agard challenges the acceptance that those with power shape the way history is presented.
Rebellion
- There are hints of rebellion against authority and challenging accepted norms of society – particularly in the final line with the phrase “carving out me identity”.
Heritage and identity
- Agard's pride in his own identity and heritage, and admiration for the Caribbean figures he describes, is evident throughout.
Structure and Rhyme in Checking Out Me History
Agard uses an alternating structure to compare the British and Caribbean figures from history. Agard uses a simple rhyming scheme when describing the figures of British history.
Simple rhyme
- Children growing up in British colonies had to learn about British history. Agard's poem indicates that this was done at the cost of their learning about their own history.
- The simple rhyme of Agard's poem complements the simplistic descriptions of figures from British history: "Dick Whittington and he cat".
- It reinforces the idea that the speaker did not enjoy being forced to study these figures.
Caribbean figures
- The speaker alternates descriptions of figures from British and Caribbean history.
- The Caribbean figures are described in more detail (using richer imagery) to emphasise the speaker’s respect and admiration for them.
- The simple rhyme used to describe figures from British history contrasts with the free verse used to describe figures from Caribbean history. Agard may do this to show that he thinks his cultural history is richer than British cultural history.
Test yourself on Summary
Who wrote Checking Out Me History?
Which of these are true about Checking Out Me History?
Which of these are true about John Agard?
What are some of the things that Agard advocates, or portrays positively, in Checking Out Me History?
What do we get a sense of in the final line of the poem?
“Carving out me identity”