I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun 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 fearful trill
of the 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
an 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
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.

Maya Angelou



Commentary:
Just when I had read the title, I knew this poem was one of Maya Angelou's most famous poems. I recognized the poem right away.
In general, this poem is about 2 birds, one free and the other is caged. Maya Angelou compares these 2 birds and their different situations.
Maya Angelou used figurative language to come across her audience and to get to her main point.
First of all, Maya Angelou used repetition. She repeats various phrases. First, she repeats the phrase, " his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing."
In the poem, this phrase was repeated twice. She choose to repeat this phrase because she thought it was important for the reader to remember it long after finishing reading the poem. This phrase means that the bird has her wings clipped and the birds feet are tied. So the only thing she can do is sing. It is like saying that you do not have any food in your refrigerator and the only thing left is an apple, so you eat it for dinner. Back to the phrase, the bird songs because it is the only thing that it is free to do.
Another phrase that Maya Angelou repeated was, " 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. Just like the other phrase that was repeated, Maya Angelou repeats this phrase twice. I believe that Maya Angelou intended this phrase to serve the same purpose as the first. She repeated this phrase to emphasis its importance. This is a well known quote and it is widely known. In context, this phrase that the enslaved bird sings with fright of the things that it has not experienced. This bird might sing about flying to beautiful sceneries and discovering new places outside of the cage, where it always is. So, when the bird sings of freedom, it might sing of these things.
After reading the poem, I did research on this poem and it said that the Maya Angelou intended for the caged bird to be an enslaved African american and for the free bird to be a whote person. When I read this information, the poem seemed to be perfect. It described their situation and it evoked self-conscience about this topic.




 Poem Analysis on "I know why the caged bird sings"

 

Poem by Maya Angelou "I know why the caged bird sings"