Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 187 views

    John Agard Half Caste

    Uploaded by

    Sheepee
    John Agard wrote "Half-Caste" to challenge the term used to describe people of mixed race as "half-caste," which implies they are only half a person. He argues against this labeling through a series of rhetorical questions posed in a strong Guayanan accent, mocking the idea of judging something as inferior for being a mix of different elements. Agard demonstrates pride in his mixed cultural heritage and encourages open-minded thinking through references to western art and music. The unconventional spelling and lack of punctuation convey an emotional tone of frustration and anger towards those who reduce people to labels.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    John Agard Half Caste

    Uploaded by

    Sheepee
    187 views2 pages
    John Agard wrote "Half-Caste" to challenge the term used to describe people of mixed race as "half-caste," which implies they are only half a person. He argues against this labeling through a series of rhetorical questions posed in a strong Guayanan accent, mocking the idea of judging something as inferior for being a mix of different elements. Agard demonstrates pride in his mixed cultural heritage and encourages open-minded thinking through references to western art and music. The unconventional spelling and lack of punctuation convey an emotional tone of frustration and anger towards those who reduce people to labels.

    Original Description:

    john agard

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    ODT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    John Agard wrote "Half-Caste" to challenge the term used to describe people of mixed race as "half-caste," which implies they are only half a person. He argues against this labeling through a series of rhetorical questions posed in a strong Guayanan accent, mocking the idea of judging something as inferior for being a mix of different elements. Agard demonstrates pride in his mixed cultural heritage and encourages open-minded thinking through references to western art and music. The unconventional spelling and lack of punctuation convey an emotional tone of frustration and anger towards those who reduce people to labels.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as odt, pdf, or txt
    187 views2 pages

    John Agard Half Caste

    Uploaded by

    Sheepee
    John Agard wrote "Half-Caste" to challenge the term used to describe people of mixed race as "half-caste," which implies they are only half a person. He argues against this labeling through a series of rhetorical questions posed in a strong Guayanan accent, mocking the idea of judging something as inferior for being a mix of different elements. Agard demonstrates pride in his mixed cultural heritage and encourages open-minded thinking through references to western art and music. The unconventional spelling and lack of punctuation convey an emotional tone of frustration and anger towards those who reduce people to labels.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as odt, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 2

    John Agard - Half Caste

    Excuse me
    standing on one leg
    Im 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?
    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 dont want de sun pass
    ah rass?
    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 Im introduced to yu
    Im sure youll 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
    an de whole of yu ear
    an de whole of yu mind.

    However, the use of colloquialisms


    could also be read as slightly
    aggressive - showing he is angry.
    This aggressive, tone is enforced by
    the confrontational language, as seen
    in short, sharp questions ("What yu
    mean") and imperatives ("Explain
    yuself"): he is challenging the name
    callers.

    Craftsmanship
    Agard argues logically against the
    term 'half-caste' using several chosen
    an I will tell yu
    images:
    de other half
    He questions whether Picasso should
    of my story.
    be seen as second-rate because he
    Subject
    mixed a variety of colours in his
    John Agard wrote Half-Caste as a
    paintings. This is because Agard is
    response to people in England who
    trying to show the 'fullness' of his
    referred to him using the term Halfcultural awareness by referring to
    caste. He thinks that the term 'halfwestern art while being viewed as an
    caste' is unfair, implying that people of outsider by the British.
    mixed race are only half a person.
    He questions whether the English
    weather should be scorned because it
    Emotion
    is full of light and shadow, lightly
    The use of the strong Guayanan
    mocking the English weather, and
    accent, shown in the use of eye dialect encouraging the listener to laugh at
    (where a word is spelt to make the
    themself and their prejudices.
    sound of the accent of the speaker)
    He asks whether the music of
    and the presentation of his ideas in
    Tchaikovsky should be seen as inferior
    colloquial language shows a pride in
    because he used both the black and
    the speaker's origin as in wha yu
    white notes on the piano, again,
    mean and ah rass.
    demonstrating his cultural knowledge.
    These images, mixed with his
    Guayanan accent, show the benefit of

    having two cultures, because of his


    mixed heritage.
    He ends by encouraging us to use all
    of our brains to think sensibly: de
    whole of yu mind
    Structure
    Lack of punctuation gives this the feel
    of an angry rant.

    You might also like