Question 1: What is the central message or theme of 'Checking Out Me History'?

Answer: The importance of reclaiming one's cultural identity and challenging historical stereotypes.

Question 2: Describe how Agard uses language to challenge traditional historical narratives.

Answer: He uses dialect, vivid imagery, and direct statements to emphasize the voices of marginalized communities.

Question 1: Quote: 'Bandage up me eye with me own history / Blind me to me own identity.' How does this metaphor deepen your understanding of the poet’s message?

Answer: The metaphor of 'bandage' and 'blindness' suggests that distorted or suppressed history prevents self-awareness, emphasizing the need to reclaim one's cultural identity.

Question 2: Quote: 'Dem tell me / Dem tell me / Wha dem want to tell me.' Analyze the repetition and its effect.

Answer: Repetition emphasizes the oppressive force of colonial narratives, highlighting the poet’s resistance and the importance of individual voice.

Question 1: Find and explain the effect of the metaphor in the line: 'I carving out me own identity.'

Answer: It suggests an active, personal process of self-creation and resistance against imposed identities.

Question 2: Identify one simile used in the poem and discuss how it enhances the poem’s message.

Answer: An example might be 'like a mugger,' which depicts the stealing of cultural history, emphasizing its violent suppression.

Question 1: Discuss how the theme of power is conveyed in the poem and its effect on the reader.

Answer: The poem shows power as oppressive and manipulative, but also as something that can be resisted through reclaiming history, inspiring empowerment.

Question 2: How does the poem address the theme of cultural identity?

Answer: It emphasizes the importance of personal and collective history in shaping identity, criticizing the marginalization of certain histories.

Question 1: Identify similarities and differences in how both poems portray the theme of power.

Answer: Similarities include the critique of oppressive rulers; differences lie in tone—'Ozymandias' is more about hubris and decay, while 'Checking Out Me History' emphasizes resistance and reclaiming identity.

Question 2: Outline key points for a comparative essay on how both poets present the idea of history and memory.

Answer: Both highlight the distortion of history—Ozymandias through hubris and decay, Agard through suppression and reclamation—showing history’s power to shape or distort identity.

Question 1: Write an essay plan including introduction, main points, and conclusion.

Answer: Introduction: overview of theme; Point 1: Power and control in 'Ozymandias'; Point 2: Resistance and reclaiming identity in 'Checking Out Me History'; Point 3: Impact on reader; Conclusion: importance of understanding history’s influence on identity.