What the poem 'Half-caste' is about...

  

  

At first, it is hard to 'get' what the poem is saying.  My pupils' first suggestion was that Agard was saying that - because he was 'half-caste' - he was only half a human being.  

  

Of course, Agard is saying exactly the opposite!   He saying that it is we who only have half an eye, half a ear and half a mind!  

Because we haven't thought fully about what 'half-caste' means...

  

Links

Main Sources

BBC Bitesize - simple explanation

Andrew Moore's detailed explanation

  

Other websites

Mike Ferguson - brief comment

  

brill BBC podcast (text version)

  

Wikipedia - VERY hard

  

Personal response - read how this poem has spoken to lots of different people

Warwick Univ blog - collection of students' comments

  

  

And why not go on the blog and

    HAVE YOUR SAY TOO!

 

  

 

First, we need to make some Brief Notes:

 

What does the BBC Bitesize webpage say about the meaning of the poem?

  

What does Andrew Moore say about the meaning of the poem?

  

(if you wish, here is space for other notes/ideas from other websites)

  

  

  

  

  

Now you can note your own Ideas about the Meaning of Half-Caste....

(REMEMBER - in these notes, you MUST support your ideas by referring to the text.)

 

Start by looking at the first section of the poem - lines 1-30 (mouseover here to read them).  

This is the section of the poem where Agard makes his argument about the word 'half-caste'.

His argument here is that a mixture of colours is a GOOD thing, not bad... (mouseover here for ideas)?

  

     

  

As you think about the second section of the poem - lines 31-46 (mouseover here to read them ), you need to realise that Agard does not mean what he is saying about himself.   In this sarcastic - even bitter - section of the poem he unpacks the negative implications of the word 'half-caste'.

What is his point here about the word 'half-caste' (mouseover here for ideas)?

  

  

  

Next, in the third section of the poem - lines 47-53 (mouseover here to read them ), Agard makes his own point about the idea of 'half-caste'.   He has been asking us to explain our (mistaken and silly) ideas.   Now he lets us know what he thinks about US.

What is the meaning of this section of the poem (mouseover here for ideas)?

 

     

     

Now, write about what the poem means to YOU, and why.

(Don't forget to illustrate and prove your points by referring to the text of the poem.)

 

     

     

Finally, you need to jot down some ideas about the Themes of Half-Caste....

 

Three possible themes that you might see in Half-Caste include:

•   Identity

•   Living between two cultures

•   Language and dialect, how people talk.

  

You need to explain HOW each theme is used in the poem...

You don't need to go into lots of detail, but give a definition of what the theme means, and explain how it is shown in the poem.

  

(REMEMBER - in these notes, you MUST support your ideas by referring to the text.)

 

Mouseover here to see the text of the poem   

Identity

     

Living between two cultures

  

Use of Dialect

  

   

Your name:

      

Your form:

  

 

    


1    Excuse me

      standing on one leg

      I'm half-caste

  

      Explain yuself

5    wha yu mean

when yu say half-caste
yu mean when picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas/

10   explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky

15   is a half-caste weather/
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud

20    half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem dont want de sun pass
ah rass/
explain yuself
wha yu mean

25    when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key

30    is a half-caste symphony/

        Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear

35    Ah lookin at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
and when I'm introduced to yu
I'm sure you'll understand

        why I offer yu half-a-hand

40    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

45    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

50    an de whole of yu mind


an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story

 

 

 

1    Excuse me

      standing on one leg

      I'm half-caste

      Explain yuself

5    wha yu mean

when yu say half-caste
yu mean when picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas/

10   explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky

15   is a half-caste weather/
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud

20    half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem dont want de sun pass
ah rass/
explain yuself
wha yu mean

25    when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key

30    is a half-caste symphony/

lines 1-30 - hints

•   What do you think is the tone of the words when he says: 'Excuse me' - is he really apologising?

•   Why is the author standing on one leg - what is he trying to show/say?  

     (A 'metaphor' is where a person tells (or acts out) a point - but they are making a statement about something else.   Agard 'standing on one leg is an acted parable - but what is he trying to SHOW the reader by his metaphor?)

•   Do these words give you any ideas - 'laughable', 'mocking', 'light-hearted'.

  

•   Paintings - weather - music ALL have mixed colours.   What does this suggest about 'half-castes' who have mixed blood?

•   Do these words give you any ideas - 'normal', 'natural', 'necessary'.

•   Picasso - Tchaikovsky both created works of genius.   What does this suggest about 'half-castes' who have mixed blood

•   Do these words give you any ideas - 'remarkable', 'special', 'wonderful'.

        Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear

35    Ah lookin at yu wid de keen
half of mih eye
and when I'm introduced to yu
I'm sure you'll understand

        why I offer yu half-a-hand

40    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

45    I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow

Lines 31-46 - hints

•   What things does Agard say he only 'half-does'?

•   Agard doesn't really think that he is only half a man - so why is he saying so (what is the point he is making about the word 'half-caste')?

•   Do these words give you any ideas - 'sarcastic', 'laughable', 'ridiculous', 'whole'.

•   Agard says he is listening to our explanation with the 'keen' half of his ear - what does he mean?

        but yu must come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye
an de whole of yu ear

50    an de whole of yu mind


an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story

Lines 47-53 - hints

•   How does Agard say that we have to come back tomorrow?

•   If we have to bring our whole mind tomorrow, what is he saying about how we have been acting/thinking today?

•   Agard tells us that tomorrow he is going to tell us 'the other half of his story' - what does the reader assume he is going to say?

•   Do these words give you any ideas - 'reconsider', 'understand', 'prejudice'.

Themes

Possible themes you might be asked about include:

•  Identity

•  Feelings about people

•  Feelings about places

•  Language and dialect, how people talk.

•  Other cultures, customs and traditions - way of life spiritually and materially.

•  Beliefs and rituals

•  Different attitudes and values

•  Living between two cultures

•  Travel and migration

•  Feelings about change

•  Poverty (e.g. contrasting the developed western world with developing countries).

•  Protest and politics