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John Agard · Power & Conflict Anthology
AQA10 questions available at this level
by John Agard
John Agard (born 1949) is a Guyanese-British poet who moved from Guyana to England in 1977. He is one of the most prominent voices in Caribbean-British poetry, known for his performance poetry, use of Creole dialect, and explorations of cultural identity.
"Checking Out Me History" was published in 2005 in his collection Half-Caste and Other Poems. The poem is a direct challenge to the British education system, which Agard argues taught him only European history while erasing the achievements of Black and Caribbean historical figures.
Postcolonial context: The poem sits within the postcolonial literary tradition, which examines the lasting cultural and psychological effects of European colonialism. Agard grew up in British Guiana (now Guyana), a former British colony, where the school curriculum was designed by the colonial power and centred entirely on British history and culture.
Caribbean history: The poem celebrates three key figures: Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the Haitian Revolution (the only successful slave revolt); Nanny of the Maroons, a Jamaican resistance leader; and Mary Seacole, a Jamaican nurse in the Crimean War. All three were largely absent from British school curricula when Agard was educated.
British education system: The poem critiques how the curriculum he was taught prioritised a narrow, Eurocentric view of history. When Agard was at school, figures like Toussaint and Seacole were not taught, while nursery rhymes and British military heroes dominated. The poem argues this was a deliberate act of cultural erasure.
Language as resistance: Agard writes in Caribbean Creole rather than Standard English, which is itself an act of defiance - he refuses to use the coloniser's language to discuss the coloniser's failings.
“Dem tell me”
The poem's opening and most repeated phrase. "Dem" (they) refers to the British education system and establishment. The phonetic Creole spelling is itself an act of resistance - Agard refuses to write in Standard English. The repetition creates an insistent, almost accusatory tone, as if building a case against the system.
“Bandage up me eye”
The central metaphor of the poem, in line 4. The speaker has been deliberately blinded - not with a foreign material, but with his "own history" twisted into a tool of oppression. The bandage prevents sight (understanding), and the fact that it is made from "me own history" suggests that colonial education weaponised Caribbean identity against Caribbean people.
“lick back”
Celebrates Toussaint L'Ouverture as a visionary who defeated one of the most powerful armies in the world. "Lick back" (line 13) is Caribbean Creole for beating an enemy back - the use of dialect makes the victory feel personal and triumphant. Lines 11 and 12 set his enslavement against his vision, emphasising that greatness is not determined by social status.
“de thorn ... de beacon”
A dual metaphor: Toussaint is both a "thorn" (a source of pain and irritation to oppressors) and a "beacon" (a guiding light for the oppressed). This contrast shows how the same figure can represent threat and hope depending on perspective.
“see-far woman”
Nanny of the Maroons is described with reverent, almost mythical language. "See-far woman" (line 27) suggests prophetic vision and wisdom. The next line places her dream in the mountains, elevating the Jamaican Blue Mountains - where the Maroons made their stand - into a place of aspiration and spiritual significance.
“healing star”
Mary Seacole is presented in line 46 as a star, a source of light and healing for the wounded. With the sunrise of line 48, the image answers the lamp given to Florence Nightingale in line 36: the British story has its lamp, but Seacole is given a star. The establishment celebrated Nightingale instead; the poem restores the balance.
“But now I checking out me own history”
The poem's turning point, held back until the last stanza (line 52). "But now" marks the shift from passive acceptance to active resistance. "Checking out" is deliberately casual and modern - this is not an academic exercise but a personal journey of discovery. The present continuous tense suggests the process is ongoing and unstoppable.
“carving out me identity”
The final line of the poem. "Carving" is a powerful verb - it suggests something permanent (like sculpture or inscription), deliberate, and requiring great effort against resistant material. Identity is not given or inherited; it must be actively created. The speaker has moved from object (being told) to subject (carving).
“Dem tell me”
Agard writes in Caribbean Creole throughout the poem, using "Dem" for the standard pronoun they, "me" for my, "bout" for about, and "de" for the article. This is a deliberate act of linguistic resistance - by refusing to write in Standard English, Agard asserts his Caribbean identity in the very fabric of the poem. The language is inseparable from the message.
“Dem tell me bout”
The relentless repetition of "Dem tell me" at the start of lines creates an insistent, accusatory rhythm - like a witness giving testimony or a prosecutor building a case. Each repetition adds another charge against the education system, building cumulative anger and frustration.
“Bandage up me eye ... Blind me”
Education is presented as an act of deliberate blinding. The metaphor suggests that the curriculum was not simply incomplete but actively harmful - designed to prevent the speaker from seeing the truth about his own heritage. The bandage both conceals and constrains.
[Lines 36 and 39] Florence Nightingale taught, Mary Seacole never mentioned
The poem repeatedly juxtaposes celebrated British figures with forgotten Caribbean ones. Nightingale vs. Seacole is particularly pointed because both were nurses in the same war, yet only the white British woman was remembered. The contrast exposes the racial bias embedded in the curriculum.
“Dem tell me”
The refrain opens the poem and returns in the last stanza (lines 50 to 51), so the poem is framed by what "Dem" chose to tell. This time the refrain is answered: the closing lines replace their telling with the speaker's own "checking out" and "carving". The repetition also gives the poem a chant-like quality, connecting it to oral Caribbean storytelling traditions.
[Lines 8, 25, 33 and 39] Toussaint L'Ouverture, Nanny of the Maroons, Shaka and Mary Seacole
Agard fills the poem with allusions to real historical figures who were excluded from his British education. Each allusion serves a dual purpose: it educates the reader about these figures while simultaneously proving that the British curriculum's omission of them was a choice, not an oversight.
[Lines 23 to 24] the cow and the moon, the dish and the spoon
By weaving nursery rhymes into stanzas about British education, Agard suggests that the history he was taught was as trivial and childish as fairy tales. The blurring of real history with fantasy undermines the authority of the British curriculum.
“Blind me ... see-far woman ... de beacon”
The poem builds a sustained semantic field around sight and blindness. The British system bandages and blinds, while the Caribbean heroes are associated with vision ("see-far woman") and light ("beacon"). Reclaiming history is presented as an act of recovering sight.
William Blake
Carol Rumens
Imtiaz Dharker
“Checking Out Me History” by John Agard is published by Hodder Children’s Books in Half-Caste and Other Poems (2005) and is reproduced in the AQA Power & Conflict anthology by kind permission of John Agard c/o Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. Short quotations are reproduced here under the fair dealing provision of the CDPA 1988 for criticism and review. Full text available in your AQA anthology.