Half-Caste (John Agard)
Quick revise
Excuse me
standing on one leg
I’m half-caste. * poignant juxtaposition of ‘half’ and ‘whole’
Explain yuself * the imperative (anaphora)
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when Picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky
is a half-caste weather?
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
ah rass? * tone of anger, frustration, exacerbation
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key
is a half-caste symphony?
Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear
Ah looking at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
an when I’m introduced to yu
I’m sure you’ll understand
why I offer yu half-a-hand
an when I sleep at night
I close half-a-eye
consequently when I dream
I dream half-a-dream
, an when moon begin to glow
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
but yu must come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye * juxtaposition of ‘half’ and ‘whole’; also the
an de whole of yu ear implication is that the listener is not a whole
an de whole of yu mind. Person because of their prejudices
an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story.
John Agard is an Afro-Guyanese poet born in British Guiana in 1949. Agard
moved to Britain in 1977 and his mixed race and resulting experiences upon
moving to Britain is what the poem draws inspiration from.
Voice
It is a direct address to those who use the derogatory term of ‘half-caste’.
The poem is personal in nature although it has a universal message. It remains
light-hearted through Agard’s colloquial, humorous and sarcastic tone .
Form and Structure
Cyclical pattern of beginning and ending with three lined stanzas; reflecting that
the use of derogatory and prejudicial terms is an on-going problem that needs to
be addressed. Even after his portrayal of the non-sensical nature of the phrase
“half-caste” the problem remains and his story cannot be fully told.
The middle stanzas with the frequent enjambment reads as a stream of
consciousness reflecting the poet’s train of thought.
An occasional basic rhyme or half-rhyme; absence of a regular rhyme – this
reflects the colloquial and phonetic language used- the poet’s language is not
constrained by grammatical rules and pure pronunciation in the same way as his
poem does not follow a structured rhyme pattern.
The lack of punctuation creates a sense of urgency and passion; the speaker has
no time for pauses – he is anxious to make his point of view known.
Quick revise
Excuse me
standing on one leg
I’m half-caste. * poignant juxtaposition of ‘half’ and ‘whole’
Explain yuself * the imperative (anaphora)
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when Picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky
is a half-caste weather?
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
ah rass? * tone of anger, frustration, exacerbation
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key
is a half-caste symphony?
Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear
Ah looking at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
an when I’m introduced to yu
I’m sure you’ll understand
why I offer yu half-a-hand
an when I sleep at night
I close half-a-eye
consequently when I dream
I dream half-a-dream
, an when moon begin to glow
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
but yu must come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye * juxtaposition of ‘half’ and ‘whole’; also the
an de whole of yu ear implication is that the listener is not a whole
an de whole of yu mind. Person because of their prejudices
an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story.
John Agard is an Afro-Guyanese poet born in British Guiana in 1949. Agard
moved to Britain in 1977 and his mixed race and resulting experiences upon
moving to Britain is what the poem draws inspiration from.
Voice
It is a direct address to those who use the derogatory term of ‘half-caste’.
The poem is personal in nature although it has a universal message. It remains
light-hearted through Agard’s colloquial, humorous and sarcastic tone .
Form and Structure
Cyclical pattern of beginning and ending with three lined stanzas; reflecting that
the use of derogatory and prejudicial terms is an on-going problem that needs to
be addressed. Even after his portrayal of the non-sensical nature of the phrase
“half-caste” the problem remains and his story cannot be fully told.
The middle stanzas with the frequent enjambment reads as a stream of
consciousness reflecting the poet’s train of thought.
An occasional basic rhyme or half-rhyme; absence of a regular rhyme – this
reflects the colloquial and phonetic language used- the poet’s language is not
constrained by grammatical rules and pure pronunciation in the same way as his
poem does not follow a structured rhyme pattern.
The lack of punctuation creates a sense of urgency and passion; the speaker has
no time for pauses – he is anxious to make his point of view known.
