"Half-Caste" is a 2005 poem written by John Agard. Agard was born in Guyana (at the time British Guyana) in 1949 and moved to England in 1977. Contextualized in England, the poem explores the use of the word "half-caste," a derogatory term referring to people of mixed race. This is done through an unidentified speaker who, in response to being deemed "half-caste," provides a very tongue-in-cheek exploration of what this descriptor actually means. In doing so, the poem subverts racist thinking that would distill human identity into a simple matter of black and white. The poem is also notably written using a mixture of standard English and Caribbean Creole, and its form thus reflects the multifaceted identity of the poet himself.

• Read the full text of “Half-Caste”

• “Half-Caste” Summary

• “Half-Caste” Themes

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    The Ignorance and Absurdity of Racism

    Where this theme appears in the poem:

    • Lines 1-56

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Half-Caste”

  • Lines 1-3

    Excuse me ...
    ... I'm half-caste

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 4-6

    Explain yuself ...
    ... yu say half-caste

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 7-9

    yu mean when ...
    ... a half-caste canvas/

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 10-12

    explain yuself ...
    ... yu say half-caste

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 13-18

    yu mean when ...
    ... nearly always half-caste

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 19-23

    in fact some ...
    ... ah rass/

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 24-26

    explain yuself ...
    ... yu say half-caste/

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 27-32

    yu mean when ...
    ... a half-caste symphony/

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 33-41

    Explain yuself ...
    ... offer yu half-a-hand

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 42-49

    an when I ...
    ... cast half-a-shadow

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 50-53

    but yu must ...
    ... of yu mind

    

    

    

    

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  • Lines 54-56

    an I will ...
    ... of my story

    

    

    

    

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• “Half-Caste” Symbols

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    Clouds and Sunlight

    Where this symbol appears in the poem:

    • Lines 13-22: “yu mean when light an shadow / mix in de sky / is a half-caste weather/ / well in dat case / england weather / nearly always half-caste / in fact some o dem cloud / half-caste till dem overcast / so spiteful dem dont want de /     sun pass”

• “Half-Caste” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

  • Aporia

    

    

    

    

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    Where aporia appears in the poem:

    • Line 4: “Explain yuself”
    • Lines 5-6: “wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste”
    • Lines 7-10: “yu mean when picasso / mix red an green / Is a half-caste canvas/ / explain yuself”
    • Lines 11-12: “wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste”
    • Lines 13-15: “yu mean when light an shadow / mix in de sky / is a half-caste weather/”
    • Lines 24-32: “explain yuself / wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste/ / yu mean when tchaikovsky / sit down at dah /     piano / and mix a black key / wid a white key / is a half-caste symphony/”
    • Lines 33-34: “Explain yuself / Wha yu mean”

  • Irony

    

    

    

    

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    Where irony appears in the poem:

    • Lines 7-9: “yu mean when picasso / mix red an green / Is a half-caste canvas/”
    • Lines 13-22: “yu mean when light an shadow / mix in de sky / is a half-caste weather/ / well in dat case / england weather / nearly always half-caste / in fact some o dem cloud / half-caste till dem overcast / so spiteful dem dont want de /     sun pass”
    • Lines 27-32: “yu mean when tchaikovsky / sit down at dah /     piano / and mix a black key / wid a white key / is a half-caste symphony/”
    • Lines 39-49: “an when I'm introduced to you / I'm sure you'll understand / why I offer yu half-a-hand / an when I sleep at night / I close half-a-eye / consequently when I dream / I dream half-a-dream / an when moon begin /     to glow / I half-caste human being / cast half-a-shadow”

  • Metaphor

    

    

    

    

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    Where metaphor appears in the poem:

    • Lines 7-9: “yu mean when picasso / mix red an green / Is a half-caste canvas”
    • Lines 13-15: “yu mean when light an shadow / mix in de sky / is a half-caste weather”
    • Lines 27-32: “yu mean when tchaikovsky / sit down at dah /     piano / and mix a black key / wid a white key / is a half-caste symphony”

  • Allusion

    

    

    

    

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    Where allusion appears in the poem:

    • Line 7: “picasso”
    • Line 27: “tchaikovsky”

  • Repetition

    

    

    

    

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    Where repetition appears in the poem:

    • Line 3: “half-caste”
    • Lines 4-7: “Explain yuself / wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste / yu mean when”
    • Line 9: “Is a half-caste canvas”
    • Lines 10-13: “explain yuself / wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste / yu mean when”
    • Line 15: “is a half-caste weather”
    • Line 18: “half-caste”
    • Line 20: “half-caste ”
    • Lines 24-27: “explain yuself / wha yu mean / when yu say half-caste/ / yu mean when”
    • Line 30: “black key”
    • Line 31: “white key”
    • Line 32: “is a half-caste symphony”
    • Lines 33-38: “Explain yuself / Wha yu mean / Ah listening to yu wid de keen / half of mih ear / Ah looking at u wid de keen / half of mih eye”
    • Line 41: “half-a-hand”
    • Line 43: “half-a-eye”
    • Lines 44-45: “when I dream / I dream half-a-dream”
    • Lines 48-49: “half-caste human being / cast half-a-shadow”
    • Lines 51-53: “wid de whole of yu eye / an de whole of yu ear / and de whole of yu mind”

  • Colloquialism

    

    

    

    

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    Where colloquialism appears in the poem:

    • Line 23: “ah rass”

  • Enjambment

    

    

    

    

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    Where enjambment appears in the poem:

    • Lines 5-6: “mean / when”
    • Lines 7-8: “picasso / mix”
    • Lines 8-9: “green / Is”
    • Lines 11-12: “mean / when”
    • Lines 13-14: “shadow / mix”
    • Lines 14-15: “ sky / is”
    • Lines 16-17: “case / england”
    • Lines 17-18: “weather / nearly”
    • Lines 19-20: “cloud / half-caste”
    • Lines 21-22: “de /     sun”
    • Lines 25-26: “mean / when”
    • Lines 27-28: “tchaikovsky / sit”
    • Lines 28-30: “dah /     piano / and”
    • Lines 30-31: “ key / wid”
    • Lines 31-32: “key / is”
    • Lines 35-36: “keen / half”
    • Lines 37-38: “keen / half”
    • Lines 40-41: “understand / why”
    • Lines 42-43: “night / I”
    • Lines 44-45: “dream / I”
    • Lines 46-47: “begin /     to”
    • Lines 47-48: “glow / I”
    • Lines 48-49: “ being / cast”
    • Lines 50-51: “ tomorrow / wid”
    • Lines 54-55: “yu / de”
    • Lines 55-56: “half / of”

  • Pun

    

    

    

    

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    Where pun appears in the poem:

    • Lines 13-22: “yu mean when light an shadow / mix in de sky / is a half-caste weather/ / well in dat case / england weather / nearly always half-caste / in fact some o dem cloud / half-caste till dem overcast / so spiteful dem dont want de /     sun pass”
    • Lines 48-49: “I half-caste human being / cast half-a-shadow”

  • Consonance

    

    

    

    

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    Where consonance appears in the poem:

    • Line 1: “Excuse”
    • Line 3: “caste”
    • Line 4: “Explain”
    • Line 6: “caste”
    • Line 7: “picasso”
    • Line 8: “mix”
    • Line 9: “caste canvas”
    • Line 10: “explain”
    • Line 12: “caste”
    • Line 14: “mix,” “sky”
    • Line 15: “caste”
    • Line 16: “case”
    • Line 18: “caste”
    • Line 19: “cloud”
    • Line 20: “caste,” “overcast”
    • Line 21: “so spiteful dem dont”
    • Lines 21-22: “de /     sun pass”
    • Line 23: “rass”
    • Line 24: “explain”
    • Line 26: “caste”
    • Line 27: “tchaikovsky”
    • Line 30: “mix,” “black key”
    • Line 31: “wid,” “white key”
    • Line 32: “caste,” “symphony”
    • Line 33: “Explain”
    • Line 35: “keen”
    • Line 37: “keen”
    • Line 40: “understand”
    • Line 41: “half,” “hand”
    • Line 43: “close”
    • Line 44: “consequently”
    • Line 46: “an when moon begin”
    • Line 48: “half-caste human”
    • Line 49: “cast half”
    • Line 50: “come back”

  • Assonance

    

    

    

    

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    Where assonance appears in the poem:

    • Line 3: “half-caste”
    • Line 6: “half-caste”
    • Line 9: “half-caste”
    • Line 12: “half-caste”
    • Line 15: “half-caste”
    • Line 18: “half-caste”
    • Line 20: “half-caste,” “overcast”
    • Line 22: “pass”
    • Line 23: “ah,” “rass”
    • Line 30: “black,” “key”
    • Line 31: “key”
    • Line 32: “half-caste symphony”
    • Line 34: “mean”
    • Line 35: “keen”
    • Line 37: “keen”
    • Line 40: “understand”
    • Line 41: “hand”
    • Line 42: “I,” “night”
    • Line 43: “I,” “eye”
    • Line 44: “consequently,” “dream”
    • Line 45: “dream,” “half,” “dream”
    • Line 46: “when,” “moon,” “begin”
    • Line 47: “glow”
    • Line 48: “half-caste,” “being”
    • Line 49: “cast half,” “shadow”
    • Line 50: “but yu must come,” “back tomorrow”

  • Juxtaposition

    

    

    

    

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    Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:

    • Lines 27-32: “yu mean when tchaikovsky / sit down at dah /     piano / and mix a black key / wid a white key / is a half-caste symphony/”
    • Lines 35-38: “Ah listening to yu wid de keen / half of mih ear / Ah looking at u wid de keen / half of mih eye”
    • Lines 51-56: “wid de whole of yu eye / an de whole of yu ear / and de whole of yu mind / an I will tell yu / de other half / of my story”

• “Half-Caste” Vocabulary

  Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

  • Half-caste
  • Caste
  • Picasso
  • Spiteful
  • Ah rass
  • Tchaikovsky
  • Keen
  • (Location in poem: Line 3: “half-caste”; Line 6: “half-caste”; Line 9: “half-caste”; Line 12: “half-caste”; Line 15: “half-caste”; Line 18: “half-caste”; Line 20: “half-caste”; Line 26: “half-caste”; Line 32: “half-caste”; Line 48: “half-caste”)

• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Half-Caste”

  • Form

  • Meter

  • Rhyme Scheme

• “Half-Caste” Speaker

• “Half-Caste” Setting

• Literary and Historical Context of “Half-Caste”

• More “Half-Caste” Resources

  • External Resources

    • A Biography of John Agard — Learn more about the poem's author.

    • John Agard Reads "Half-Caste" Aloud — John Agard reads his poem "Half-Caste" and talks about race.

    • John Agard Reflects on Racism — An interview with John Agard in which he speaks on his own experiences with racism in England.

    • A Guide to Creole — Learn more about the history of creole languages like that portrayed in the poem.

    • A Brief History of the Term "Half-Caste" — The abstract of this paper offers a quick overview of the term's development and history as a derogatory slur.

  • LitCharts on Other Poems by John Agard

    • Checking Out Me History

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