What techniques does John Agard use of half caste?
Agard uses direct speech (e.g. ‘I’/ ‘yu’) and many commands (such as ‘Explain yuself’) to point his thoughts directly at the reader, and to make the poem challenging and confrontational.
What is John Agard’s most famous poem?
half-caste
“Explain yuself / wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste / yu mean when picasso / mix red an green / is a half-caste canvas?” So questions the narrator of John Agard’s well-known poem ‘Half-caste’, a wry, imaginative and darkly comic take on racial misconceptions and divisions.
What inspired John Agard to half caste?
Agard was born in what is now Guyana in 1949; he is of Afro-Guyanese descent, and his mixed-race upbringing is probably his inspiration for writing this poem. ‘Half-Caste’ is his most famous poem. He moved to England in the late 1970s and became a lecturer on Caribbean culture.
What is the poem Flag by John Agard about?
John Agard dictates excerpts of his poem ‘Flag’ and the ‘journey of questions’ the poem invokes. He discusses the symbolism of flags, from a simple piece of cloth to Imperialism, and asks if humanity waves a flag or if we are controlled by our own ideology.
How does half-caste show identity?
Half-Caste and other poems (2005) The collection explores multiple race issues faced by black and mixed race people living in the United Kingdom. The poem is a reflection of the feelings evoked in Agard as a result of being labelled “half-caste” upon moving to the UK.
What is the significance of the title half-caste?
Half-caste is a term used for individuals of multiracial descent. It is derived from the term caste, which comes from the Latin castus, meaning pure, and the derivative Portuguese and Spanish word casta, meaning race.
What does Agard mean?
Danish and Norwegian: habitational name from Ågård ‘farm by the stream’. French: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements agi(n) ‘edge (of a sword)’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘bold’.
What language does John Agard?
Patois
John Agard FRSL (born 21 June 1949 in British Guiana) is an Afro-Guyanese playwright, poet and children’s writer, now living in Britain….John Agard.
John Agard FRSL | |
---|---|
Born | 21 June 1949 Grantham, British Guiana |
Language | Patois |
Nationality | British |
Education | St Alban’s Academy |
What does half-caste mean?
“Half-Caste” is a 2005 poem written by John Agard. Agard was born in Guyana (at the time British Guyana) in 1949 and moved to England in 1977. Contextualized in England, the poem explores the use of the word “half-caste,” a derogatory term referring to people of mixed race.
How does Agard present ideas about power in the poem flag?
Flags are highly symbolic objects. However, here Agard juxtaposes his simple description of a flag as a ‘piece of cloth’ with the powerful symbolism of a flag. In other words, it’s just a piece of cloth but has the power to bring a nation to its knees. He repeats this structure throughout the poem.
When did Agard write flag?
John Agard first published ‘Flag’ in his 2005 collection, Half-Caste and Other Poems, at a time in his life when he lived in Britain.
How does John Agard present the theme of identity in the poem half-caste?
When we talk about identity we signify how a person is portrayed. Agard’s poem ‘Half Caste’ presents the idea of originating from another culture negatively whereas Dharker’s presents the idea positively. Agard does not use any punctuation in his poem ‘Half-Caste’. Dharker on the other hand uses Standard English.