Poem A: ‘Half-caste’ by John AgardPoem B: ‘The Class Game’ by Mary CaseyPoem C: ‘Conscientious Objector’ by Edna St. Vincent Mallay

STRUCTUREHalf-caste The Class Game

Similarities Differences

• Enjambment – keeps the structure of the poem whilst still making sense of the poem.

• Four stanzas of varying length and lines of varying length. Longer stanzas start with ‘Explain yuself’ – repetition.

• Narrow layout, perhaps to reflect the narrow-mindedness of some people? Or to resemble someone standing on one leg?

• One long continuous stanza. No breaks, to not break argument and shows frustration with the class differences? However, clear verses are shown with repetition of the line “how can you tell what class I’m from?”

MEANINGHalf-caste The Class Game

Similarities Differences

• Prejudice against other races, half-caste.

• Being half-caste doesn’t make you any less of a person, or half a person. The poem is mocking people who think this. It doesn’t matter what race you are.

• Prejudice against other classes.

• It doesn’t matter what class you are, everyone is proud to be who they are.

IMAGERYHalf-caste The Class Game

Similarities Differences

• Examples of mixtures and half-and-half combinations (cloudy weather, Picasso mixing blue and green) to show how ridiculous it is of people to look down on them because they are half a nationality.

• Creates a ridiculous image in the reader’s mind of a person with only half of everything to show how ridiculous the people who are prejudice against half-caste people really are.

• Examples of pictures comparing the two lifestyles.

“Or is it because my hands are stained with toil?Instead of soft lily-white with perfume and oil?”

Rough hands, muddy and leathery against pale, delicate fingers. Two very different images.

LANGUAGEHalf-caste The Class Game

Similarities Differences

• Non-standard English, showing how the poet might speak. • Addressing the reader. Questioning the reader.

• Demands explanation. Minimal use of punctuation. Not even a capital on the name Picasso. Incorrect grammar.

• Rhetorical questions used. • Incorrect grammar showing the poet is

lower class.• Lots of local dialogue and sayings – “Bread

pudding is wet nelly” – showing where he comes from and that he’s different, but why must it matter?

EFFECTSHalf-caste The Class Game

Similarities Differences

• Thought provocative, remains interesting by use of humorous language yet they both have very important and serious arguments.

• Makes reader wonder whether class matters in modern day society or not and that class shouldn’t be important.

• Class divisions are formed by people who believe they are superior or inferior to others.

• Makes reader wonder whether race matters in modern day society or not and that race shouldn’t be important.

• Racial divisions are formed by people who believe they are superior or inferior to others.