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for the caged bird. sings of freedom. The free bird thinks of another breeze. and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees. and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn. and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams. his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream. his wings are clipped and his feet are tied.
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Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive...
- California Prodigal
Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive...
- Awaking in New York
Source: The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (1994)...
- Poetry and The Civil Rights Movement
Caged Bird. Maya Angelou (1983) Staggerlee wonders. James...
- Phenomenal Woman
Source: The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (Random...
- Celebrating Black History Month
With A Little Help from Dr. Angelou. The Editors;...
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- Summary
- Themes
- Structure and Form
- Literary Devices
- Caged Bird Metaphor
- Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
- Similar Poetry
‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelouis an incredibly important poem in which the poet describes the experience of two different birds, one free and one caged. The free bird flies around the wind currents, feeling like the sky belongs to him. On the other hand, the caged bird can barely move in its prison. It’s angry and frustrating. Its wings are clipped, ...
‘Caged Bird’ is filled with powerful themes. These include racial oppression, freedom/captivity, and happiness/sorrow. These themes are all wrapped together in ‘Caged Bird’ through Angelou’s depiction of the two birds, one free and one caged. The caged bird is an extended metaphorfor the Black community in America and worldwide. Angelou is alluding...
‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou is a six-stanza poem that is separated into stanzas that range in length. Angelou chose to write the poem in free verse. This means that there is no single rhyme scheme or metrical pattern that unites all the lines. But, there are some examples of an iambic meter. This adds to the overall musicality of the poem. Iambs a...
Angelou makes use of several literary devices in ‘Caged Bird.’These include but are not limited to: 1. Alliteration: another form of repetition, but one that is solely focused on the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of multiple words. For example, “sun” and “sky” at the end of stanza one and “cage / can” in lines three and four of st...
In Maya Angelou’s ‘Caged Bird,’ the poet uses two bird metaphors. The free bird symbolizes white Americans or all free people who enjoy equal rights. The caged bird is a metaphor for/symbolizes oppressed Black Americans who are kept captive through racist policies.
Stanza One
In the first stanza, Maya Angelou refers to nature. She describes how “a free bird leaps on the back of the wind.” She describes the bird’s flight against the orange sky. The free bird has the right “to claim the sky.” The way she describes the “orange sun rays” gives the reader an appreciation for the natural beauty of the sky, and her description of howthe bird “dips his wing” helps the reader to appreciate the bird in his natural habitat enjoying his freedom.
Stanza Two
This stanza of ‘Caged Bird’ contrasts sharply with the first. By using the word “but” to begin this stanza, the speaker prepares the reader for this contrast. Then she describes the “bird that stalks his narrow cage.” The tone is immediately and drastically changed from peaceful, satisfied, and joyful to one that is dark, unnerving, and even frustrating. She describes that this caged first “can seldom see through his bars of rage.” While the free bird enjoysthe full sky, the caged bird rarely...
Stanza Three
The third stanza reverts back to the free bird, further cementing the difference between the free bird and the caged bird in the readers’ minds. She writes that a “free bird thinks of another breeze” that he can enjoy the “sighing trees” and be free to find his own food. The tone with which she writes the first and third stanzas so sharply contrasts with the second stanza that readers can feel the difference. The first and third stanzas give the reader a sense of ecstasy and thrill, makingthe...
Readers who enjoyed ‘Caged Bird’ should also consider reading some other Maya Angelou poems. These include: 1. ‘Phenomenal Woman‘ – defies the stereotypes women often face today. It is a poem filled with strength and determination. 2. ‘Still I Rise‘ – describes, through positive and joyful language, a speaker’s allure as a woman. She has irresistib...
3 days ago · I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first of seven autobiographical works by American writer Maya Angelou, published in 1969. The book chronicles her life from age 3 through age 16, recounting an unsettled and sometimes traumatic childhood that included rape and racism. It became one of the most widely read and taught books written by an ...
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own But a caged bird ...
Gather Together in My Name. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma.
Where allusion appears in the poem: Line 1: “A free bird”. Line 7: “and dares to claim the sky”. Line 14: “so he opens his throat to sing.”. Line 15: “The caged bird sings”. Lines 21-22: “for the caged bird / sings of freedom.”. Line 23: “The free bird thinks of another breeze”. Line 24: “and the trade winds”. Line ...
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and ...