Structure and Language of the poem 'Half-caste'...
Half-caste is a brilliantly written poem, mixing humour with directness to get its point across.
Structure
• The poem's short lines convey the directness and confrontational nature of the poem.
• Its repetition of key phrases hammers home its message.
• There is little rhyme, but the words have a Caribbean rhythm which is reinforced by the repetition of phrases like 'Wha yu mean'/ 'de whole of'.
• There is almost no punctuation, which carries the feel of someone 'kicking off' at you - pouring out their feelings at the reader.
• The poem is divided into four sections, each carrying a different message.
Language
• The language is NOT just Caribbean dialect -- it is a mixture of dialect ('Ah lookin at yu wid de keen half of mih eye'/ 'ah rass') and formal British English ('Consequently when I dream I dream half-a-dream') - which picks up the idea of a person of mixed race.
• The author uses direct speech ('I'/ 'yu') and commands ('Explain yuself').
• The poem makes heavy use of metaphor, comparing the idea of 'half-caste' to a painting, the weather and music.
• It also makes use of scathing humour, starting off by standing on one leg, offering 'half-a-hand' - and throwing in a joke about the weather.
• The tone of the poem is confrontational ('Excuse me...'/ 'Explain yuself...') and bitter ('I half-caste human being cast half-a-shadow').
Links
Main Sources
BBC Bitesize - simple explanation
Andrew Moore's REALLY clear note
Other websites
Rendell Harris - brief comment
brill BBC podcast (text version)