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Half Caste

Poems from Different Cultures

 Slide Contents
Author
Social & Historical Context
What is it About?
Structure
Language
Examination Preparation
Links
The Author
 John Agard
John Agard was born in Guyana in South
America in 1949. Like many people from
the Caribbean his parents were of mixed
nationality - his mother is Portuguese, but
born in Guyana and his father is black.

Following his move to Britain in 1977 he

said that one of the things he loves about
England is the wide variety of people he
meets: 'The diversity of cultures here is
very exciting'.

Agard is well known as a performance

poet and his poems often use humour to
convey a serious point.
 Social &
Historical
Context
 ‘Half-caste’
The term 'half-caste', still
used by many people to
describe people of mixed
race, is now considered
rude and insulting as it
suggest that mixed race
people are inferior or
incomplete . In this poem
John Agard ridicules the
term and challenges the
reader to be more open
minded.
What is it
About?
 What Happens?
Like a person of mixed race, there are two halves to this poem but
are you aware of what they are?

Part What is happening?

One
(Lines 1 – 30)

Two
(Lines 31 – 53)
 What Happens?
Like a person of mixed race, there are two halves to this poem but
are you aware of what they are?

Part What is happening?

One The poet questions the meaning of the
(Lines 1 – 30) term “half-caste”. He argues that being a
mix of things does not mean being half
made. He explains that many great things
(such as art and music) are great because
they’re made up of mixtures.
Two He challenges people’s opinions and makes
(Lines 31 – 53) fun of the idea of being only half a person.
He finishes by saying that people need to
think in a more open minded way.
Structure
 Structure
The poem is made up of five
stanzas, each one of a different
length.
The lines throughout the poem are
quite short and Agard doesn't use
standard punctuation. This is partly
because the poem is written as a
performance piece (to be read
aloud). Agard has said that: ‘I think
no punctuation can be effective
because if the words are floating in
space it gives the reader a chance to
punctuate with their own breath...’
Language
&
Imagery
 Language
When you read the poem for the first time you
immediately notice that it is not written in
standard English. As well as neglecting the rules of
punctuation the poet uses the lower case where
standard English would use capital letters. Agard
also writes in a Caribbean dialect using 'yu' instead
of 'you', or 'dem' for 'them'.
The next thing you may notice is that certain
phrases such as ‘Explain yuself’ and ‘half' are
repeated or echoed and that the poem contains a
number of comparisons to show us how ridiculous
it is to judge things that are in contrasting colours
as only 'half' worthy. The poet uses examples of
great artists such as Picasso and Tchaikovsky and
the weather as examples of things that are full of
contrasting colour.
 Language Response
1. Why do you think that John Agard does not
write this poem in Standard English?
2. Why do you think Agard chose to write 'Half-
Caste' in a Caribbean dialect ?
3. Why does the poet repeat or echo certain
words and phrases?
4. Why does he mention Picasso & Tchaikovsky to
convey his point of view?
 Imagery
Look at the following images from the poem.
What effect do the images create?

Image Effect created

Standing on one leg

Light an shadow mix in

de sky
Mix a black key wid a
white key
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
 Poetic Techniques
Match the technique with the correct definition.

Technique Definition

Metaphor the ability to see that something is funny

Humour A figure of speech not meant literally

Repetition the act or process of saying or writing

something again
 Poetic Techniques
Match the technique with the correct definition.

Technique Definition

Metaphor the ability to see that something is funny

Humour A figure of speech not meant literally

Repetition the act or process of saying or writing

something again
 Poetic Techniques
Think about the poetic techniques discussed on the last slide.
Copy down the chart below. Find examples in the poem and
write down the effect created.

Technique Evidence Effect

metaphor I offer yu
half-a-hand

repetition

humour
Feelings and Attitudes
The poet pokes fun at the idea of mixed
race people being only half made. He
uses humour to ridicule the idea of
being only half a person (‘standing on
one leg’). He uses a conversational but
quite aggressive tone to express his
feelings and convey his opinion. The
poem is very direct and informal –
despite the humour the tone of the
poem is also confrontational and angry.
Examination
Preparation
 The Examination Paper
• You will have 45 minutes to answer the
question.
• You will be asked to compare two poems.
• You should begin by annotating the question for
the key words. This will help you to understand
what you are being asked to do.

E.g. Compare ‘Half Caste’ with one other

poem which demonstrates strong attitudes and
feelings about how individuals are treated in
society.
 Planning
• Spend between 5 and 10 minutes making
a plan. This will help you to order your
essay logically.

• Make a note of any key ideas you are

going to include.

• Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to

read through your work and check for
any basic errors.
 Structure
Remember:

• Write in paragraphs.
• Don’t forget to P.E.E! Using a range of quotes that
are properly embedded within your answer.
• Begin with an introduction and end with a
conclusion.

The main body of the essay should follow these five

steps to make a good answer:

• Write about the theme

• Compare the structures of each poem
• Compare the use of language in each poem
• Compare the feelings of the poets
• Write about how the poems make you feel.
 Making Connections
Use a series of comparisons, using connectives
to link ideas, both within paragraphs and between
paragraphs.
Similarity Connectives Contrast Connectives
• Equally • In contrast
• In the same way • However
• Similarly • Whereas (best used in
• Likewise the middle of a
• Just as…also sentence)
• On the other hand
Refer back to the question repeating the
key words from it.
 Analysis
Use the following words to link your Point -> Evidence ->
Explain sentences. The use of these words will also help to
ensure that your response is analytical.

suggests
implies
gives the impression that
shows
highlights
indicates

To make the same point using a different example, try one

of these:
furthers
emphasises
reinforces
 Recap
1. When you are comparing poems you will be
asked to look for the similarities and the
differences.
differences
2. You should comment on the language they
use. What poetic devices are present?
Imagery, similes, metaphors, alliteration,
onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme etc.
What effect do they have on the reader?
reader
3. You will need to comment on the structure of
the poems. How are they set out? Does this
add to their overall effect/meaning?
4. Consider the tone of the poems. What mood
has the author created?
Links
 Useful Stuff
‘Half Caste’ short film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KqyVpM
J1gI&feature=PlayList&p=16EF7CA5C98BA
EE0&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index
=10

BBC Bitesize Poems From Other Cultures:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/e
nglish/poemscult/halfcasterev1.shtml