John Agard, to get his point across about half-caste, he uses images to point other well-known mixtures of half-caste: ‘yu mean when Picasso mix red an green is a half-case canvas/’ this is one of his interpretation of well known mixtures which people of society welcome with open arms, then why is there a voice of prejudice when a there is a person who belongs to two races. Agard takes a bitter, angry and frustrating tone to match his feeling of being a victim.
The presentational device used for this poem is formal: it has rhythm and rhyme. The rhyme scheme used is not expected, as the poem is written in a form of prejudice. The use of sarcasm and mocking tone: ‘Excuse me standing on one leg I’m half-caste’ The author here wants attention, and introduces the subject of half-caste. Then the author goes on to demanding an explanation to why people are objective towards those who are half-caste, they seem to have no objections for any other object but humans.
Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste’ From this one can see that Agard has been a victim of prejudice. He challenges the person who spoke so rudely of him. ‘ Ah listening to yu wid de keen half of mih ear’ Here Agard is asking for prejudices to review their stance to see factors through his eyes. He does however use sarcastic humour to get his point of racism an d prejudice across. ‘Half-caste is a rather challenging poem, a through out the poem there is repetition of: ‘Explain yuself wha yu mean’ Agard challenges those who speak against half-castes, and asks them to give their interpretation of half-casts.
‘Half-caste’, is written in non-standard English, just like did Sujata Bhatt and is adapting a Caribbean accent. There is no punctuation besides the basic, though however the reader creates the punctuation and tone as he reads the poem aloud. If to summarise, between the poems, the author’s, manage to demonstrate the relationship between the poems, in different but effective ways. ‘Half-caste’, Agard creates a victimising and frustrated imagery about those who are prejudice. Although there are corresponding styles are used and throughout the poem there remains one mood created, I feel the author was cynical to a point and manages distinctively to make his intended point.
In contrast to ‘For Search For My Tongue’, Bhatt seems very uncertain as she feels she has lost the ability to speak her mother tongue and in contrast with Agard who seems very confident as he challenges those who are prejudice. He also is confident about his background, as is Bhatt. I think that Agard wants the reader to envisage how what he feels and what he has to say are two different things using non-standard English and phonetic Caribbean accent. However it is repetitive in that he creates humour, which is rather cynical.
