Maya Angelou once wrote a poem called “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Like most writings, the meaning of the poem is left for the reader to decide. On the surface, this poem is about a bird that is trapped behind the bars of its cage and how it longs for freedom, so it sings. I think it could mean more than that. I think that the caged bird could represent a person that has not yet found a ‘purpose’ in life. This could be a woman/man that is experiencing a mid-life crisis. Maybe they are bent on a decision that is difficult and they can’t make up their mind. This could be represented by “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.” I think the singing could be a symbol for crying and mourning, or taking actions that you wouldn’t normally do. The free bird represents a person that knows what he/she wants out of life. They have goals and dreams and aren’t confused.
Angelou uses a lot of elements of poetry in her poem. First, she uses rhyming. “Cage…rage”, “trill…still”, “breeze…trees” and “scream…sing” are all examples of rhymes that Angelou uses. Second, she uses metaphors. Actually, the whole poem is a metaphor. It is a symbol for whatever you want it to be. Third, there is rhythm in her poem. It has a certain beat that you fall into when you read it. Fourth, Angelou uses personification. A bird represents a person in they way that it is sad and longs for freedom.
I really like this poem because it is deeper than you would think after quickly reading it. You really have to read in between the lines. And even with this hidden meaning, the poem itself on the surface is still a great work of art. It is really fun to read. I can connect to this poem ‘because we are learning about slavery in class. If you think about it, the bird could represent a slave in the way that they are chained down with almost now way to escape. When faced with the hardship of slavery, enslaved African-American would sing and dance to take the pain away. That is what the bird is doing in the poem. “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.”
Angelou uses a lot of elements of poetry in her poem. First, she uses rhyming. “Cage…rage”, “trill…still”, “breeze…trees” and “scream…sing” are all examples of rhymes that Angelou uses. Second, she uses metaphors. Actually, the whole poem is a metaphor. It is a symbol for whatever you want it to be. Third, there is rhythm in her poem. It has a certain beat that you fall into when you read it. Fourth, Angelou uses personification. A bird represents a person in they way that it is sad and longs for freedom.
I really like this poem because it is deeper than you would think after quickly reading it. You really have to read in between the lines. And even with this hidden meaning, the poem itself on the surface is still a great work of art. It is really fun to read. I can connect to this poem ‘because we are learning about slavery in class. If you think about it, the bird could represent a slave in the way that they are chained down with almost now way to escape. When faced with the hardship of slavery, enslaved African-American would sing and dance to take the pain away. That is what the bird is doing in the poem. “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.”
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