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Summary
Summary
‘Half-caste’ is a derogatory term for a person who is of mixed race. The speaker begins the poem by excusing himself for being half-caste, though it is evident fairly early on that this apology is chock-full of sarcasm. The majority of the poem is filled with the speaker responding to being called half-caste. He provides countless examples of the positive sides to being half-caste, asking himself if it being “half-caste” is like Picasso mixing his colors or the dreary English weather that is filled with cloudy skies. The speaker tells the reader that he will soon tell the “other half” of his story, signifying that his mixed-race by no means defines who he is as a person—there is so much more.
A Reading of Half-caste
A Reading of Half-caste
This reading/performance of Half-caste is completed by the actual poet, John Agard!
Context
Context
The poet is a versatile writer known for his poems, stories, children’s literature, drama, and nonfiction. Agard was born in what is now Guyana in 1949; he is of Afro-Guyanese descent, and his mixed-race upbringing is probably his inspiration for writing this poem. Agard started his writing career as a journalist in Guyana. Half-Caste is his most famous poem.
He moved to England in the late 1970s, when racial tensions within the UK were at a high, and became a lecturer on Caribbean culture. He has won various awards for his children’s books and poetry throughout his career, and in 1993, he became the Poet in Residence at the BBC in London. Agard continues to write and publish his works today.
This poem was included in Agard’s 2005 collection of poems called Half-Caste. The anthology dealt with issues those of mixed race were facing in the United Kingdom.
Guided Annotation
Guided Annotation
Annotations & Notes
Annotations & Notes
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