Half-Caste by John Agard

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 1

Write a few words about a time when someone insulted you.

How do you feel? How did you react?

Half-Caste by John AgardLearning Objectives

As we study this poem you will learn more about• Why the title of the poem is considered an offensive term•Repetition patterning•Dialectical English•Complex rhyme schemes•Complex metaphors•Tone & rhythm

Half-Caste by John AgardExcuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 2

Write down what you think has happened immediately before the poem starts.

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 2

Write down what you think has happened immediately before the poem starts.The poem is written in the form of a response to the poet being called ‘half-caste’ so just before the poem starts the poet has been insulted by someone.

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 3

Now write down what you think is the ‘story of the poem.’

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 3

Now write down what you think is the ‘story of the poem.’This is a poem about asserting your identity against others who would ‘bring you down’ and is the poet’s ironic response to having been called ‘half-caste’ by someone. In the poem he tries to demonstrate what a nonsense the notion of being ‘half’ anything is by comparing ‘half-caste’ to music, painting and the weather. He finishes the poem by telling his listener to come back without prejudices….with ‘de whole of yu mind.’

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 4Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

Explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

What are the Key Features of this poem? Identify Examples with your answer.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 4Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

1. Imagery2. Repetition3. Dialect

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 4Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand 1. Imagery

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 4Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand 2. Repetition –

216 words 130 repetitionsThat’s over half the poem as reps.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 4Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half- a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half -a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half- a-hand 2. Repetition –

The unrepeated words

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 5Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand 2. Write down

any patterns you notice in the repletion.

1. What is the effect of all this repetition?

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 5 & 6Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid -de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

1. Half-caste2. Explain yuself3. De whole of

Rep. PatternsWrite down what you notice about these patterns?

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 5 & 7Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand 4. Yu

5. I & AhWrite down what you notice about these patterns?

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 5Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand ……and the rest

6. Dem7. An when8. De keen9. dream

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 8Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

1. Imagery2. Repetition3. Dialect

You will be given a section of the poem to translate to standard English. You will then have to read your section to the class.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 9Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

Check the poem for Rhymes….what sort of rhyme scheme is this?

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 9Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

Check the poem for Rhymes….what sort of rhyme scheme is this? Complex

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

Metaphor – In the next few slides you are going to be asked to explain the complex use of metaphors in various sections of the poem.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10aExcuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

Explain the metaphor in the first stanza of the poem.

Explain the metaphor in the ‘Picasso’ section of the poem.

Explain the metaphor in the ‘weather’ section of the poem.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10aExcuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?

‘Half-cast’ like a half made sculpture standing on one leg. A comic image to startthe poem.

The re is no such thing as half a colour and a mix of two colours becomes anew colour in its own right.Ironically what colour do youget if you mix red & green?

Picasso painted distorted faces

The English always moan about the weather, so there is a hint of comic irony in this section of the poem. But on a cloudy day you do not have ‘half-caste’ weather, just overcast skies.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10bexplain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadow

Explain the metaphor in the ‘Music’ section of the poem.

Explain the metaphor in the ‘Half of me’ section of the poem.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10bexplain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuselfwha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadow

You need a combination of black and white notes to play a complex piece of music on a piano. Perhaps there is also the suggestion here that the mix of black and white = harmony.

You are a whole person so the ‘half of me’ that are referred to in theses lines is just nonsense. You can’t have half an eye, or ear, or dream, or shadow. There is also a sense of bitter anger or irony in these lines and they help to reinforce the main idea of the poem that being called ‘half-caste’ is not only an insult but impossibly wrong.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10cbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

Explain the metaphor in the ‘Whole of me’ section of the poem.

Explain the metaphor in the final stanza.

Half-Caste by John Agard - MT 10cbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

Put simply, come back tomorrow without your prejudices…..

….and I will show you my true self.

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 11

ToneNow write down what you think the overall tone of the poem is and identify points in the poem where the tone may change.

Half-Caste by John Agard MT 11Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste. Sarcasm angerExplain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuself anger wha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass? Very angery

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eyeconsequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dreaman when moon begin to glowI half-caste human beingcast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrowwid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu earan de whole of yu mind.Very sarcastic an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

explain yuself anger wha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black keywid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

explain yuself anger wha yu meanAh listening to yu wid de keen Sarcasm half of mih earAh looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eyean when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

The tone shape then is:Sarcasm (irony) Anger Sarcasm

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 12

RhythmWhat is it that gives this poem a strong rhythm?

Half-Caste by John AgardMini Task 12

RhythmWhat is it that gives this poem a strong

rhythm?• Repetition• Rhyme/chime• Dialetcial English (Jamacian)• Short lines

Half-Caste by John Agard

How the poet does it.

John Agard was born in Guyana in 1949, with a Caribbean father and a Portuguese mother. 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 wrote this poem a a way of ‘telling off’ people who use this term without thinking.