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Muliebrity And Checking Out Me History

Decent Essays

‘Muliebrity’ and ‘Checking Out Me History’ are both poems representing the idea of pride in one’s identity, especially when in a position where one’s identity is that of a minority. ‘Muliebrity’ by Sujata Bhatt describes the importance of womanhood and the power women have, despite having been oppressed for many years throughout history. On a similar note, ‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard tells of a black man’s history (and therefore identity) being erased and untold of.
Bhatt starts Muliebrity in a way that effectively draws the reader in and makes them think about the idea of power in the poem within the first few lines. ‘I have thought so much about the girl’ starts the poem in media res, as if already in the middle of a series of …show more content…

Stanzas beginning with ‘Dem tell me’ contain the ‘white’ version of history that Agard has been taught. Conversely, stanzas wherein he invites the reader to think about important historical black figures are broken up into many lines consisting of a few words. A single entire sentence is enjambed throughout each of these stanzas, as shown when he describes Toussaint L’Ouverture: ‘Toussaint/a slave/with vision’. By italicizing these stanzas and alternating between these two structures, Agard further stresses the importance of black people throughout history, effectively supporting the pride he shows in his heritage and …show more content…

For example, ‘Toussaint de beacon’ conveys powerful imagery of light and hope due to the use of the word ‘beacon’, which in turn provides positive connotations and feelings to the reader. Many of his metaphors and similes are short, yet effective and visually stimulating - this could be another way he opposes his education, as many English poems use long-winded descriptions and flowy language devices to provide imagery. In the sixth stanza, he presents Nanny the Maroon’s story as ‘fire-woman struggle’. The vivid imagery of fire in the term ‘fire-woman’ wraps up her determination and fierceness into a single phrase, highlighting her power and significance in the history of black

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