"Half-caste" poem by John Agard

• John Agard, born in British Guyana in 1949, is a poet and playwright.
• Agard began writing poetry while studying English, French, and Latin for his A levels and later taught these languages.
• He also worked as a journalist and published two books before moving to London in 1977 to join his father with his partner, Grace Nichols.
• In 2012, Agard received the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.
• Agard's mixed heritage (Caribbean father, Portuguese mother) influenced his response to the racist term 'half-caste' in Britain.

Background and Message

• The poem addresses the pervasive use of the offensive term "half-caste" in 1970s and 1980s British society.
• The speaker challenges the racist's ignorance by highlighting the positive outcomes of mixing things.
• The speaker uses vivid imagery, imagining their body as only half-formed to expose the term's absurdity.
• The poem concludes with an invitation for the racist to return with an open mind to truly understand the speaker.
• Racist abuse, according to the poem, only reveals the ignorance of the person using it.

Analysis of "Half-Caste"

• The title itself is an offensive term used to describe people of mixed race.
• "Caste" originates from the Hindu class system, implying a false sense of purity and social hierarchy.
• In Portuguese, "casta" means lineage, while "casto" signifies pure, unmixed ancestry, which may influence Agard's perception.
• The prefix "half" suggests incompleteness or impurity, reinforcing the abusive nature of the term.
• The poem's title aims to shock the reader and prompt reflection on the hurtful impact of language.
• The free verse structure, lacking rhyme or rhythm, mirrors the speaker's spontaneous, angry response.
• The absence of punctuation and use of enjambment reflect a breaking of societal norms and the speaker's uncontrolled anger.
• Phonetic spelling imitates a Caribbean accent, asserting pride in the speaker's identity and forcing the reader to empathize.

Language and Imagery

• The opening line, "Excuse me," creates a dramatic, immediate sense of confrontation, masking anger beneath politeness.
• The line illustrates the absurdity of the racist's words as he is standing on one leg "half cast".
• The demand to "explain yuself," repeated as a refrain, emphasizes the speaker's relentless questioning and refusal to let the racist off the hook.
• The poet employs metaphors, likening mixed race identity to Picasso's mixed paints creating art and Tchaikovsky mixing black and white keys for a "half-caste symphony".
• English weather being "nearly always half-caste" serves as a metaphor, personifying clouds as "spiteful" for blocking the sun, mirroring racist attitudes.
• The exclamation "ah rass" reveals the speaker's anger using Creole to highlight the racist's ignorance of the speaker's culture.

Final Confrontation

• The latter part of the poem pokes fun at the term "half-caste" by depicting a half-formed man, showing how ludicrous the term is.
• The poet uses the image of a half-formed man so he only offers "half a hand" to shake.
• The poet depicts the logical conclusion of calling someone ‘half-caste’ or half formed; he says that when he sleeps he "close half a eye" and dreams "half a dream" and when the ‘moon begin to glow’ he only casts "half a shadow".
• The poet challenges the racist to return with a fully open mind, exposing the racist's own incompleteness.
• The poem concludes with the offer to share "de other half of my story," highlighting the racist's prejudice and offering a chance for genuine understanding.