his choice to write this poem in

such an informal tongue, without

HALF-CASTE the usual pronunciation adds to
the theme of alienation from
$[John Agard 'full-caste' society.

the lack of punctuation throughout the poem

POEMS
Excuse me goes to show how he is seen as less
standing on one leg sophisticated, educated, than the 'full-caste'
people he talks to.
+oOJCNHECUVG

'ZRNCKP[WUGNH emphasises the colloquialism and trivialisation of

the struggle of the underclasses, often those
YJC[WOGCP who are deemed racially or socially impure, he
YJGP[WUC[JCNHECUVG asks them to define half-caste, suggesting it is a
phrase tossed around with a certain casualness
[WOGCPYJGP2KECUUQ
there exists a caste system based on ones whiteness,
mix red an green symbolic of purity and civility. while any deviation from
KUCJCNHECUVGECPXCU this is treated as savage and subhuman. a class
struggle based on the immutable class features derived
GZRNCKP[WUGNH from one's race and skin colour.
YJC[WOGCP
YJGP[WUC[JCNHECUVG
[WOGCPYJGPNKIJVCPUJCFQY
allusions to black and white, half-caste comes from being impure by birth, accepted fully by neither
OKZKPFGUM[ side. isolationism occurring involuntarily
is a half-caste weather

well in dat case

england weather exoticizes the English
weather, and mocks it with
PGCTN[CNYC[UJCNHECUVG the play on words making fun
in fact some o dem cloud of the similarity between ;
caste' and 'cast'
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
CJTCUU
GZRNCKP[WUGNH
YJC[WOGCP further comparison to
YJGP[WUC[JCNHECUVG the 'mixing' of black and
white. which is then
[WOGCPVEJCKMQXUM[ deemed to be
inferior, 'half-caste'
sit down at dah piano
CPOKZCDNCEMMG[
YKFCYJKVGMG[
KUCJCNHECUVGU[ORJQP[

'ZRNCKP[WUGNH
YJC[WOGCP
#JNKUVGPKPIVQ[WYKFFGMGGP by extenuating circumstances and societal attitudes, he
is deemed to be half a man, so he responds by offering
half of mih ear them only 'half a hand'
#JNQQMKPICV[WYKFFGMGGP
JCNHQHOKJG[G
CPYJGP+oOKPVTQFWEGFVQ[W
+oOUWTG[QWoNNWPFGTUVCPF
YJ[+QHHGT[WJCNHCJCPF

4 BURN 9: respect
CPYJGP+UNGGRCVPKIJV
there are
+ENQUGJCNHCG[G consequences to
EQPUGSWGPVN[YJGP+FTGCO being seen as
lesser your whole
POEMS
+FTGCOJCNHCFTGCO life, he only
an when moon begin to glow dreams half a
dream, and only
+JCNHECUVGJWOCPDGKPI shuts half an eye.
cast half-a-shadow 'shadow' another reference to his nature being 'black'
DWV[WOWUVEQOGDCEMVQOQTTQY

YKFFGYJQNGQH[WG[G
CPFGYJQNGQH[WGCT
CPFGYJQNGQH[WOKPF
a disparity between the white and black parts of
his story, which the full caste man can never
CP+YKNNVGNN[W understand
de other half
QHO[UVQT[

5 BURN 9: respect