The poem expresses frustration that the speaker was only taught about European historical figures and events in school, but not about important people and movements from his own culture and history. He lists several famous Europeans he learned about, such as Dick Whittington, Lord Nelson, and Columbus, but was not taught about seminal figures from his own history, like Toussaint L'Ouverture, Nanny of the Maroons, and Mary Seacole. Through this contrast, the poem criticizes the dominance of the Western perspective in education and calls for the inclusion of diverse historical narratives.

1. Checking Out Me History
Key
Language: connotation, imagery, metaphor, simile
Structure and form: stanzas, type, patterns, contrast, juxtaposition
Poetic methods: alliteration, caesura, assonance, rhythm, rhyme
Character and voice: who is speaking and to whom? Tone of voice
Links: comparisons to other speakers, methods and themes
Dem tell me
Dialect reinforces a sense
Dem tell me
of pride in his culture.
Wha dem want to tell me
Bandage up me eye with me won history Vague and
dismissive comment
Blind me to me own identity
implies that he sees
these stories as
Dem tell me about 1066 and all dat insignificant in
dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat comparison to his
but Toussaint L’Ouverture own.
no dem never tell me bout dat
Toussaint
Verse and chorus form Emphasises pride he feels in
mirrors a song placing
a slave his nation’s history.
the characters in the with vision
status of legends. lick back
Napoleon
battalion
and first Black Rhyme is reminiscent of
Republic born nursery and shows that he feels
it deserves same status and
Metaphor – light Toussaint de thorn
popularity.
represents truth and hope to de French
for his own nation’s place Toussaint de beacon
in history. of de Haitian Revolution
Even children’s
stories given
Dem tell me bout de man who discover de balloon
precedence
and de cow who jump over de moon highlights extent of
Dem tell me bout de dish ran away with de spoon cultural ignorance.
but dem never tell me bout Nanny de maroon
Nanny
Images of nature used to
see-far woman reinforce adventurous and
of mountain dream exciting deeds done by
fire-woman struggle the heroes of ‘his’ history.

2. hopeful stream
to freedom river Question serves as an
accusation of neglecting
Dem tell me bout Lord Nelson and Waterloo to mention great figures
but dem never tell bout Shaka de great Zulu when teaching history
Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492
but what happens to de Caribs and De Arawaks too
Juxtaposition of Dem tell me bout Florence Nightingale and she lamp
real and fictional and how Robin Hood used to camp
heroes Dem tell me bout old King Cole was a merry ole soul
emphasises
but dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole
discrepancies in
the teaching of
history.
From Jamaica
she travels far
to the Crimean War
she volunteer to go
and even when de British said no
she still brave the Russian snow
a healing star
among the wounded Images that are reliable and
steadfast show how Mary
a yellow sunrise
Seacole was a ‘rock’ to those
to the dying she treated.
Dem tell me
Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me
But now I checking out me own history
I carving out me identity
Interpretations of the poem:
 A man showing patriotism and national pride
 An accusation that the West’s influence on the teaching of
history is an injustice.
 An attempt to make personal heroes gain some recognition.