The Problem with History Education
Ever wondered why you learn about 1066 but nothing about incredible Black leaders? Agard's poem starts by showing how colonisation shaped what we're taught in schools. The repeated phrase "Dem tell me" uses anaphora to emphasise how the speaker was only told what others wanted him to know.
The poem uses Jamaican dialect throughout, with words like "dem" and "dat" showing the speaker's Caribbean identity. This isn't just accent - it's rebellion against the standard English that was forced on colonised people. The lack of punctuation and enjambment creates flowing emotions, like the speaker can't hold back his frustration.
Metaphors like "Bandage up me eye with me own history" show how learning only white history blinds people to their own cultural identity. Bandages are meant to heal, but here they're covering up the truth. The poem contrasts trivial knowledge (like nursery rhymes about cows jumping over moons) with real heroes like Toussaint L'Ouverture.
Key Insight: Toussaint was a former slave who led the Haitian Revolution against Napoleon's forces - yet most people learn about hot air balloons instead of this incredible leader who fought for freedom.
