A grade 9 essay on comparing Checking out me History by John Agard and London by William Blake.
This is not guaranteed a full mark answer as it is written by a student but has grade 9 ideas, context, interpretations, which may help as a source for knowing what a grade 9 essay looks like.
In both COMH and London, both poems convey ideas which criticise corrupt political
systems of the time and their effects on the oppressed of society. Agard expresses
his personal anger at the ignorance of a Eurocentric culture, which had stripped
people of his cultural heritage of their own identity of Guyana, so he tells his readers
that political power can be resisted by the oppressed if they seek their own identity
and forgotten history. Whilst Blake in "London" criticises strict, regulated power of
corrupt governments in London as he comments on the deprivation suffered by the
citizens because of this, thus uses poetry as a form of protest in order to bring about
a French revolution, but in England.
In both poems, both Agard and Blake express the psychological impacts and
brainwashing inflicted upon the oppressed by corrupt political systems. This is
evident within COMH, when the poem says "bandage up me eye with me own
history/blind me to me own identity"- Agard's deliberate use of "me" reflects his
defiance of traditional structures and embracing his own Caribbean dialect:
subverting from usual grammatical structures in traditional poetry from Europe, while
also this repetition of "me" is perhaps a way of expression that he is focusing on his
own self-development on finding out his own identity in order to recover from
repercussions of growing up without any knowledge about his own cultural identity
due to colonialism of British which made education Eurocentric. This is further
reinforced by the use of the verbs "blind" and "bandage" in the extended metaphor to
create a gruesome image of torture with connotations of helplessness through being
blinded of his own self due to British colonialism who controlled his homeland of
Guyana. The use of half rhyme equates the subject of history in schools to how this
impacts negatively on how we identify ourselves. In 'London', Blake similarly
comments on this brainwashing through the use of metaphor in "mind-forged
manacles" conveying the idea that people are brainwashed, with the image of
manacles suggesting metal chains, and people are controlled and imprisoned by
their own mind because of propaganda or self-imposed. However, Blake creates an
image of hope by 'fore'd' perhaps suggesting people can rebel against oppressive
systems of power further reinforced by the alliteration of 'm' and the breaking of
iambic pentameter whereby the wealthy only live good lives while "youthful harlots"
and "children" suffer through this social inequality prevalent in London at the time,
reflecting Blakes anti-establishment beliefs.
Furthermore, both poems effectively show a struggle against those in power
however Agard portrays his recovery from strict oppression of European colonialism
whilst in 'London, there seems to be no resolution to the deprivation pictured in the
poem. Agard claims, "I carving out me identity" implying he is now able to break free
from the shackles of British colonialism which "blinded" him to his own identity,
showing that the oppressed are capable of resisting the oppressor. The metaphor of
"carving" is an artistic endeavour which creates something beautiful and permanent
from something previously disfigured and vague, reflecting his protest to change the
school curriculum so the younger generation doesn't have to be blinded by a
Eurocentric perception of life and suffer the consequences. However in 'London' this
deprivation and suffering caused seems to be never-ending as he "wonders" through
each chartered street and is surrounded by every demographic of people who suffer
at the hand of abuse of power by governments This is evident in "blasts the
newborns infants tear/and blights with plagues the marriage hearse". The
juxtaposition of "hearse" and "newborn," mirrors how citizens of London suffer from
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller annakennerley. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.69. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
