Half-Caste and Other Poems

John Agard, poet, playwright, short-story and children's writer living in Lewes.

 

Agard's poem 'Half-Caste' ridicules the use of the term 'half-caste' by following the idea through to its logical conclusion. It is perhaps the most seminal poem in this collection due to its inclusion on the AQA GCSE English syllabus at secondary school level. Another highlight of the collection is 'Checking out me History', which describes the West's ignorant denial of a black perspective on history.

 

In all, the collection comprises of old and new poems covering the issues of violence, politics, relationships and grief with an air of wit, compassion and hope. Agard uses the themes of cultural identity and race as a way of getting young people to address these issues and their ensuing experiences.