Half-Caste – John Agard

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'Half Caste' by John Agard Analysis for GCSE

English Literature (Edexcel Conflict Anthology)

Mary Meredith

Published on Mar 29, 2015

Summary of Key Points

Context
Agard is from Guyana - a former British colony which achieved independence from British rule in 1966.
His mother was Portugese and his father Afro-Guyanan. He moved to London in 1977 and was offended
by the use of the term 'half-caste'. This poem expresses his feelings about that derisory term.
Structure
The poem is written in free verse - lines are very short as Agard drives home his message.
There is no conventional punctuation - the poem was written to be performed and Agard has said that he
likes the idea of readers having control over its pace and rhythm.
Phonetic spelling is a key feature and allows Agard to recreate his Guyanese Creole dialect. A creole is a
language which originates from the combination of one or more original languages - it is in fact a rich
mix.
There is no formal rhyme scheme but internal rhymes create an energetic, rhythmic quality which captures
the Creole dialect.
Point of View
A poem written in the first person, Agard's 'voice' is important. He is asserting his cultural identity,
proudly, and addressing a bigot who has evidently labelled him 'half-caste'. "Explain yuself" is a challenge
repeated four times in the poem, creating rhetorical force each time its repeated and also functioning like a
stanza break - marking a shift.
Use of Language
The poem opens with the speaker ironically referring to himself as standing on one leg, as a half person.
This ironic, mocking tone is sustained as the poet asks whether Picasso's paintings should be referred to as
half-caste since they mix different colours or Tchaikovsky's symphonies since black and white notes are
used.
The references to art connote beauty, depth and interest - suggesting perhaps that Agard sees his mixed
race identity in this way. Not as lacking something, as the term 'half-caste' implies.
The poems becomes more bitter as Agard suggests that he will only relate to his listener with half of
himself since he is apparently only half of a person. Images of the moon and shadows suggest that this is
how he feels he is perceived - as a dark and sinister figure.
In the poems' conclusion, Agard makes the point that the half person is actually the person he is
addressing since he, blinded by prejudice, has only half a mind.
He insists that this individual returns when he has been able to open his mind, so that there can be real
communication and Agard is able tell his 'whole story' to someone who is really able to listen.
Themes
Prejudice, and the conflict between people this creates.
Cultural identity - Agard is proud of his cultural identity and his language - a joyous, energetic, pulsating
Creole, itself a mix of languages and the richer for it.
Strong links with 'No Problem' in the Edexcel Conflict anthology.
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Half-caste

AddoEngRev

__________________________________

GCSE Poetry: Everything you need to know

about Half-Caste by John Agard

The English Teacher

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Half-Caste by John Agard (GCSE revision

material)

RCEnglishFaculty
Uploaded on Oct 16, 2010

Discussion of Half-Caste by John Agard

Ms Matthews and Mr Williams discuss John Agard's poem about the use of the term 'half-caste' to
describe people with a mixed heritage background.

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This is a poem about asserting your identity against others who would ‘bring you down’. John Agard was born in
Guyana in 1949, with a Caribbean father and a Portuguese mother (he is of mixed race). In 1977, he moved to
Britain, where he became angry with people who referred to him as ‘half-caste’. Realising that most people who
say this do so without thinking about what it really means, he tells off people who use this term without thinking.

The poem’s content starts by sarcastically ‘apologising’ for being half-caste – ‘Excuse me standing on one leg I’m
half-caste’. He is not really apologising. This is satire – although the poem starts by apologising for being half-
caste, Agard MEANS exactly the opposite.
The next section of the poem argues that mixing colours in art, weather and symphonies does not make a half-thing
When he says: ‘Yu mean when Picasso mix red an green is a half-caste canvas’, he is arguing that mixing colours is
a GOOD thing, and makes things better! You could say the same for blood and cultures.
He then writes how he must be able only to listen with half-a-ear, look with half-a-eye, offer us half-a-hand, etc. – a
sarcastic, even angry, denunciation of the word ‘half’ in ‘half-caste’. He writes: ‘I half-caste human being cast
half-a-shadow’ – here, ‘half-a-shadow’ has a sinister vampire-like tone, and the author seems to be pointing out that
by using the word half-caste, people are saying that he is not really human, but inferring that there is something sub-
human, even evil about him.
He finishes by saying: ‘but yu must come back tomorrow wid … de whole of yu mind’ – here he is pointing out that
it is us who have been thinking with only half-a-brain when we thoughtlessly use the word ‘half-caste’. In this
way, he challenges the readers to change their thinking, and come up with a better word.

As for the poet’s feelings, in early recordings of the poem, Agard sounds angry and bitter. ‘Excuse me standing
on one leg…’ is said in an aggressive tone.
He objects to being called half a human being, and asserts that there is much more to him than we realise.
The words: ‘I half-caste human being’ show that he is insulted by the term ‘half-caste’.
His tone is challenging, even threatening (e.g: ‘Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste’) as he asserts
his identity as a whole human being and demands that readers change their attitudes.
In later recordings, Agard does not sound as angry – he even makes a joke of it, and he brings out the humour of
phrases such as: ‘Excuse me standing on one leg’. Perhaps this is because fewer people use the term half-caste
nowadays. But it may also be that sees the funny side to it himself.

For the poem’s structure, the poet uses short lines (e.g. ‘Excuse me’) and almost no punctuation (he uses ‘/’
instead of a full stop) to convey the direct and confrontational nature of the message. It makes the poem go quickly
so it feels like someone ‘kicking off’ at you - pouring out his feelings at the reader.
One line is devoted to the Caribbean phrase: ‘ah rass’ – an expletive meaning ‘my arse’ – which makes this line of
the poem very angry and aggressive, as though Agard has just got so angry explaining his argument that he cannot
contain his anger any more.
He repeats key phrases such as ‘Explain yuself’ (four times) and ‘haaaalf-caste’ to hammer home his message.
The poem does not rhyme, but the words do have a Caribbean rhythm which is reinforced by the repetition of
phrases like: ‘Wha yu mean’ and: ‘de whole of’; this reminds you of Caribbean limbo dancing and sense of rhythm
– perhaps Agard is asserting his Caribbean heritage, or perhaps it just comes naturally from his childhood in Guyana.
The poem has four sections, each with a different message so that – even though it is funny and angry – the poem
gradually builds up its argument, step by step, that ‘half-caste’ is an unacceptable phrase and we ought not to use it.

The language of the poem is a mixture of Caribbean dialect and formal British English – the poet at one point says
in Caribbean dialect: ‘Ah lookin at yu wid de keen half of mih eye’, but at another in BBC English: ‘Consequently
when I dream I dream half-a-dream’. This very powerfully gets across the fact that Agard is of mixed heritage.
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.
Agard makes use of metaphor, comparing ‘half-caste’ to art, the weather and music, which makes the poem a kind
of parable – many teachers use analogy in their teaching to get the point across.
He also uses scathing humour – including the joke: ‘in dat case england weather nearly always half-caste’ – because
humour can also help to give a point more impact.

My feelings
About this poem is that it has made me stop using the term ‘half-caste’, but it also makes me angry about abuse
words which I suffer from people who use them thoughtlessly.
Half-Caste – John Agard

Excuse me Explain yuself

standing on one leg wha yu mean
I’m half-caste*. Mischling, Halbblut Ah listening to yu wid de keen* scharf, fein
half of mih ear
Explain yuself Ah looking at yu wid de keen
wha yu mean half of mih eye
when yu say half-caste an when I’m introduced to yu
yu mean when Picasso I’m sure you’ll understand
mix red an green why I offer yu half-a-hand
is a half-caste canvas? an when I sleep at night
explain yuself I close half-a-eye
wha yu mean consequently when I dream
when yu say half-caste I dream half-a-dream
yu mean when light an shadow an when moon begin to glow
mix in de sky I half-caste human being
is a half-caste weather? cast half-a-shadow
well in dat case but yu must come back tomorrow
england weather wid de whole of yu eye
nearly always half-caste an de whole of yu ear
in fact some o dem cloud an de whole of yu mind.
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful*l dem don’t want de sun pass gehässig an I will tell yu
ah rass*? 'our ass/arse’ de other half
explain yuself of my story.
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky A half-caste is a person with ‘mixed-blood’ of a black and a white parent.
sit down at dah piano What does the poem argue about mixing colours? Find examples.
an mix a black key
wid a white key What does it ultimately say about the concept ‘half-caste’?
is a half-caste symphony? How does the speaker feel about being considered half-caste?
How do you interpret the last 7 lines?
Half-Caste – John Agard
Possible themes: Identity; Living between two cultures; Language and dialect, how people talk; racism.
Facts Quotes/facts Explanation/effects
Content
1. The poem starts by ‘apologising’ for being half-caste ‘Excuse me standing on one leg I’m half-caste’ = satire/sarcasm.
2. He starts by arguing that mixed colours in art, ‘Yu mean when Picasso mix red an green = argument that mixing colours is a GOOD thing –
weather and symphonies does not make a half-thing. is a half-caste canvas’ makes things better!
3. He then listens with half-a-ear, looks with half-a-eye, ‘I half-caste human being cast half-a-shadow’(nb = sarcastic, even angry, at this demonization by the
offers us half-a-hand, etc. ‘half-a-shadow’ has a sinister vampire-like tone of) word ‘half-caste’
4. He finishes by pointing out that it is us who have ‘but yu must come back tomorrow wid … de whole Carries the challenge to the readers to change their
been thinking with only half-a-brain of yu mind’ thinking about the concept ‘half-caste’
5. Although the poem starts by apologising for being Born in Guyana (1949): Caribbean father & …which explains why he has shard identity, and views
half-caste, Agard MEANS exactly the opposite Portuguese mother = i.e. he is mixed race. He lived about being called ‘half-caste’
in Guyana until 1977, but in Britain since then…
Feelings of the Poet
1. Sarcasm – the poem is very funny, but Agard is bitter ‘Excuse me standing on one leg…’ Said in an aggressive tone
2. Insulted  ‘I half-caste human being’  He objects to being called half a human being
 ‘an I will tell yu de other half of my  There is much more to him than we realise
3. Challenging story’ Challenges the readers to think about their attitudes
‘Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste’

Structure
1. Short lines Including: ‘Explain yuself’ (x4) and ‘understand’ Convey the direct/confrontational nature of the poem.
2. Repetition of key phrases ‘Explain yuself’/ ‘haaaalf-caste’ Hammers home its message.
3. Little rhyme, but the words have a Caribbean rhythm reinforced by the repetition of phrases like ‘Wha yu = reminiscent of Caribbean limbo dancing
which is mean’/ ‘de whole of’.
4. There is almost no punctuation Agard uses ‘/’ io ‘.’ Carries the feel of someone ‘kicking off’ at you -
pouring out their feelings at the reader.
5. Four sections, each carrying a different message… …builds up the argument, bit by bit.
Use of Language
1. The language is a mixture of Caribbean dialect and Compare the Caribbean: ‘Ah lookin at yu wid de Picks up the idea of a person of mixed race
formal British English. keen half of mih eye’ & ‘ah rass’, to the English:
‘Consequently when I dream I dream half-a-dream’.
2. The author uses direct speech and commands e.g. direct: ‘I’/ ‘yu’’ and commands: ‘Explain Makes the poem challenging and confrontational.
3. Use of metaphor, yuself’ Makes the point in a parable
4. Scathing humour Compares ‘half-caste’ to art, weather and music. Humour makes the point more acceptable
‘Excuse me standing on one leg’/ ‘in dat
case england weather nearly always half-caste’
YOUR feelings Has it made you stop using racist terms? What abuse words do you suffer from people using thoughtlessly?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDQf2Wv2L3E&index=13&list=PLowCbB0JhZd35W11cCWQEpwrwI4hOUhdM