Maya angelou why the caged bird sings poem analysis

The cry for freedom of the bird is heard in distant dwellings. Poem describes the opposing experiences of the caged bird and its counterpart. All that the caged bird could do to attain the liberation is by raising its voice against the injustice. This idea is particularly notable, as it reminds one of the time with Angelou along with Martin Luther King Jr. Fourth Stanza. These lines go back to the unrestricted movement of the free bird. The brilliant visual, aural and palpable imagery captures the delight of the free bird.

The idea of ease and abundance is predominant here. In the following lines, we find that the independent bird is exposed to the abundance of nature. Fifth Stanza. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. A free bird leaps on the back Of the wind and floats downstream Till the current ends and dips his wing In the orange suns rays And dares to claim the sky.

But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage Can seldom see through his bars of rage His wings are clipped and his feet are tied So he opens his throat to sing.

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. Maya Angelou has used various literary devices to enhance the intended impacts of her poem. Some of the major literary devices have been analyzed below. His throat is free.

He sings so loudly that his voice reaches the "distant hill. Who hears the song of the caged bird? Does he sing for his benefit? Does he sing to the person who put him in a cage?

Does he sing out of boredom or because he loves to sing? The poet positioned the stanzas based on emotions, themes, and mechanical patterns. The poem has 6 stanzas and 38 lines. The first and fourth stanzas have a happy tone and the rest are morose. The poet grouped stanzas with similar patterns in the following pairs: Stanza 1 and 2 7 lines , Stanza 3 and 6 8 lines , Stanza 4 and 5 4 lines. It's quite interesting how this adds musicality to the poem and creates a rhythm.

The poem reads like music. It's like a song with a chorus and a bridge. Iambs are two syllables whereby an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable.

If you read aloud you will realize the rising intonation from the unstressed to the stressed syllable. A free bird leaps unstressed -stressed. The rhyming scheme is "Caged Bird" is irregular since it doesn't follow an obvious pattern.

The poet expresses human life through meaningful word choices that elicit different emotions and tones. For instance: freedom, dawn, sings, wind, leaps and free bird depict happiness and enthusiasm. On the other hand, the words: caged bird, trill, grave, shadow, and rage imply sadness and powerlessness. The poem "Caged Bird" seems to stem from personal experience. However, he uses the pronoun "he" to refer to the bird. It suggests more than what the meaning of the words first glances.

There is a deeper meaning to the poem. This poem is not about birds, but mankind. The dreams of the caged bird represent the dreams of the slave. Things unknown to the caged bird are enjoyed by the free bird. Free people seem to have everything and live life to the fullest. The action of the caged bird to choose to sing is also a metaphor. Music is often beautiful and enjoyable.

But his state of being caged is despicable. However, when he sings of freedom perhaps someone will hear his voice and open the cage.