Oppression is explicitly presented in ‘Checking out me history’ (COMH) and ‘emigree’. Both poems
reflect the corrupt nature of oppression on children and how it affects their lives and history. In
COMH, Agard reflects on how children have been oppressed and raised by a biased, Eurocentric
education system and are “blinded” to their own culture and identity. Similarly, in ‘Emigree’,
Rumens considers the emotions of a child who has left her own country and is now facing hostility
and oppression in her new home.
Rumens in ‘Emigree’ writes ambiguously, possibly to create a universally relatable account of the
oppression displaced people face in their new “state” or “city”. Consequently, Rumens portrays the
speaker as a victim in a number of ways. She employs a passive and innocent tone throughout this
dramatic monologue, coupled with the female spelling of the French word “émigrée” intended to
evoke sympathy. Most notably, Rumens tells this story of oppression through the eyes of a naïve,
helpless child. Thus, the speaker’s “memor[ies]” of her own country are romanticised to the point of
wishful ignorance (“the worst news I receive cannot break/my original view”), leading us to question
the reliability of the speaker.
Contrastingly, the speaker in ‘Checking Out Me History’ is on a journey to find and expose the truth
about an institution - the education system (there is perhaps a sense of irony here as Agard’s poem
is now taught at GCSE). Now an adult, the speaker is realising how they were oppressed as a child
through the failure to accurately teach history to young children, while also recognising the
historic oppression of people of colour through slavery and colonialism. Throughout the dramatic
monologue, Agard employs an angry, accusatory tone, particularly through his emphasis of the
oppressive “Dem” (often capitalised, reflecting the superiority of “Dem” over “me”) and writes in
Creole, creating a connection between current and historic oppression.
Rumens refers to historical events to create meaning, she links her poem to the French revolution
through the title: an “émigré” was an individual who fled revolutionary France to seek safety from
the violence of revolution. She also uses descriptions such as the image of a “hollow doll”,
highlighting her Russian background. Agard also refers to historical events, to illustrate how poorly
non European history is taught. He alludes to the intentional elimination of ‘embarrassing’ defeats
for the hegemony: “Dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu” – a leader who defeated the
British. He also mocks the meaningless Eurocentric nursery rhymes – “de cow jump over the moon”.
Both poets view childhood as a time when children’s impressionable nature can be exploited and
manipulated by the authorities. Agard proposes that it is only when we have grown up that we can
realsie how we were oppressed and reject this cycle. Though Rumens suggests that the mind of the
child in ‘The Émigrée’ is already strong (“filled paperweight”), they both still reinforce the idea that
we can only discover the truth when we open our mind and forget the inaccurate and one-sided
information we have been told.
Both poets present the nature of oppression within their poems. Agard employs the physical
image “bandage up me eye” to make his message even more powerful – the white bandage perhaps
connotes ideas about white supremacy. He is therefore suggesting that a biased education
contributes to the psychological oppression of people from heterogeneous backgrounds. This is
emphasised by the constant juxtaposition of the history that has been taught (e.g. Florence
Nightingale’s lamp) with the history that is unknown (e.g. Mary Seacole as a “healing star”). He uses
language to suggest that Seacole was more original and powerful than Nightingale, but children have
only been taught about the latter. On the other hand, Rumens presents the nature of oppression
by creating an event in the narrative world of her poem. She discusses the restrictions on freedom
and self expression, elucidating
reflect the corrupt nature of oppression on children and how it affects their lives and history. In
COMH, Agard reflects on how children have been oppressed and raised by a biased, Eurocentric
education system and are “blinded” to their own culture and identity. Similarly, in ‘Emigree’,
Rumens considers the emotions of a child who has left her own country and is now facing hostility
and oppression in her new home.
Rumens in ‘Emigree’ writes ambiguously, possibly to create a universally relatable account of the
oppression displaced people face in their new “state” or “city”. Consequently, Rumens portrays the
speaker as a victim in a number of ways. She employs a passive and innocent tone throughout this
dramatic monologue, coupled with the female spelling of the French word “émigrée” intended to
evoke sympathy. Most notably, Rumens tells this story of oppression through the eyes of a naïve,
helpless child. Thus, the speaker’s “memor[ies]” of her own country are romanticised to the point of
wishful ignorance (“the worst news I receive cannot break/my original view”), leading us to question
the reliability of the speaker.
Contrastingly, the speaker in ‘Checking Out Me History’ is on a journey to find and expose the truth
about an institution - the education system (there is perhaps a sense of irony here as Agard’s poem
is now taught at GCSE). Now an adult, the speaker is realising how they were oppressed as a child
through the failure to accurately teach history to young children, while also recognising the
historic oppression of people of colour through slavery and colonialism. Throughout the dramatic
monologue, Agard employs an angry, accusatory tone, particularly through his emphasis of the
oppressive “Dem” (often capitalised, reflecting the superiority of “Dem” over “me”) and writes in
Creole, creating a connection between current and historic oppression.
Rumens refers to historical events to create meaning, she links her poem to the French revolution
through the title: an “émigré” was an individual who fled revolutionary France to seek safety from
the violence of revolution. She also uses descriptions such as the image of a “hollow doll”,
highlighting her Russian background. Agard also refers to historical events, to illustrate how poorly
non European history is taught. He alludes to the intentional elimination of ‘embarrassing’ defeats
for the hegemony: “Dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu” – a leader who defeated the
British. He also mocks the meaningless Eurocentric nursery rhymes – “de cow jump over the moon”.
Both poets view childhood as a time when children’s impressionable nature can be exploited and
manipulated by the authorities. Agard proposes that it is only when we have grown up that we can
realsie how we were oppressed and reject this cycle. Though Rumens suggests that the mind of the
child in ‘The Émigrée’ is already strong (“filled paperweight”), they both still reinforce the idea that
we can only discover the truth when we open our mind and forget the inaccurate and one-sided
information we have been told.
Both poets present the nature of oppression within their poems. Agard employs the physical
image “bandage up me eye” to make his message even more powerful – the white bandage perhaps
connotes ideas about white supremacy. He is therefore suggesting that a biased education
contributes to the psychological oppression of people from heterogeneous backgrounds. This is
emphasised by the constant juxtaposition of the history that has been taught (e.g. Florence
Nightingale’s lamp) with the history that is unknown (e.g. Mary Seacole as a “healing star”). He uses
language to suggest that Seacole was more original and powerful than Nightingale, but children have
only been taught about the latter. On the other hand, Rumens presents the nature of oppression
by creating an event in the narrative world of her poem. She discusses the restrictions on freedom
and self expression, elucidating
