Both poems present the speakers being outsiders, however in the Emigree, she is an outsider to her culture whereas in COMH, he is a outsider to British society
‘dem tell me’ ‘they circle me, they accuse me of being dark’
-uses the words ‘they’ and ‘me’ to indicate that the speaker feels very
-uses the word ‘dem’ to refer to British schools separate from the people in her new country
-It is clear that he feels angry that the British schools teach many facts -use of word ‘circled’ creates powerful imagery that helps us to imagine
about white history but don’t teach black historical gures who have the speaker being bullied and intimidated by people in her new city, while
done many important things. the word ‘dark’ implies that perhaps the speaker has been subjected to
racist remarks
-This approach makes him feel like an outsider because it makes him feel -can also interpret it as the speaker not being accepted into her previous
that his own culture and history are not valued home who are now very hostile towards her.
-Agard’s use of the words ‘dem’ and ‘me’ indicates that he feels very -Through these words, Rumens explores how dif cult it must feel to move
separate from the teachers in British schools because they have not to a new country and not feel accepted
made him feel that his own culture is important -It is clear in both poems that the speaker does not feel fully accepted in
the country they have moved to.
-By repeating the words ‘dem tell me’ in the opening and throughout the
poem, Agard emphasises the anger and frustration that he feels.
‘the frontiers rise between us’
‘Bandage up my eye with me own identity’ -The word ‘frontier’ refers to the border that separates two countries,
implying that the speaker feels there is a larger border between her
-metaphor helps the reader to imagine that he feels like he is wearing a and her home country. Rumens further suggests that the distance
blindfold and cannot see becomes greater over time by using the word ‘rise’.
-implies that he feels his eyes have been deliberately closed by the British -The use of the word ‘us’ here could also imply that the speaker
education system and that he has been kept distant from his own history
due to the lack of black history taught in British schools. views her home country as a person
-ironic as bandages should aid healing but instead here they cause -like a family member who she has been made to keep a distance
blindness - white bandages = white history from. It is evident in both poems that the speakers wish they could
feel closer to where they came from
Context
This could be based on Agard’s own experiences, while he was educated Context
at a British school in the Caribbean and when he moved to the UK as an Links to why Rumens wrote the Emigree which was just after many Eastern
adult European countries were made independent from the Soviet Union. Many
who ed felt unaccepted back into these countries and Rumens wanted to
present this in the poem.
fl fi fi
‘dem tell me’ ‘they circle me, they accuse me of being dark’
-uses the words ‘they’ and ‘me’ to indicate that the speaker feels very
-uses the word ‘dem’ to refer to British schools separate from the people in her new country
-It is clear that he feels angry that the British schools teach many facts -use of word ‘circled’ creates powerful imagery that helps us to imagine
about white history but don’t teach black historical gures who have the speaker being bullied and intimidated by people in her new city, while
done many important things. the word ‘dark’ implies that perhaps the speaker has been subjected to
racist remarks
-This approach makes him feel like an outsider because it makes him feel -can also interpret it as the speaker not being accepted into her previous
that his own culture and history are not valued home who are now very hostile towards her.
-Agard’s use of the words ‘dem’ and ‘me’ indicates that he feels very -Through these words, Rumens explores how dif cult it must feel to move
separate from the teachers in British schools because they have not to a new country and not feel accepted
made him feel that his own culture is important -It is clear in both poems that the speaker does not feel fully accepted in
the country they have moved to.
-By repeating the words ‘dem tell me’ in the opening and throughout the
poem, Agard emphasises the anger and frustration that he feels.
‘the frontiers rise between us’
‘Bandage up my eye with me own identity’ -The word ‘frontier’ refers to the border that separates two countries,
implying that the speaker feels there is a larger border between her
-metaphor helps the reader to imagine that he feels like he is wearing a and her home country. Rumens further suggests that the distance
blindfold and cannot see becomes greater over time by using the word ‘rise’.
-implies that he feels his eyes have been deliberately closed by the British -The use of the word ‘us’ here could also imply that the speaker
education system and that he has been kept distant from his own history
due to the lack of black history taught in British schools. views her home country as a person
-ironic as bandages should aid healing but instead here they cause -like a family member who she has been made to keep a distance
blindness - white bandages = white history from. It is evident in both poems that the speakers wish they could
feel closer to where they came from
Context
This could be based on Agard’s own experiences, while he was educated Context
at a British school in the Caribbean and when he moved to the UK as an Links to why Rumens wrote the Emigree which was just after many Eastern
adult European countries were made independent from the Soviet Union. Many
who ed felt unaccepted back into these countries and Rumens wanted to
present this in the poem.
fl fi fi
