ANALYSIS AND EXPLANATION OF -"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" BY-Maya Angelou | ICSE CLASS 9 AND 10 | ENGLISH LITERATURE

Maya Angelou

ABOUT THE POET

Maya Angelou was an
acclaimed American poet, storyteller, singer, memoirist and autobiographies. She
was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. She is
widely regarded as the “ Black Women’s Poet Laureate”. She spent much of her childhood in there of
her paternal grandmother in rural Stamps, Arkansas. When she was nearly eight
years old, she was ravished by her mother’s boyfriend and told of it, after
which he was murdered; the traumatic situation left her dumbstruck for nearly
five long years! She was best known for her seven autobiographical books: Mom
& Me & Mom (Random House, 2014); Letter to My Daughter
(Random House, 2008); All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (Random
House, 1986); The Heart of a Woman (Random House, 1981);
Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas (Random House,
1974); and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Random House, 1969), which
was nominated for the Nation Book Award. Her poetry: Just Give Me a Cool Drink
of Water ‘fore I Diiie’(1971), was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her
autobiographies reflect the themes of economic, racial and sexual oppression.
She found encouragement for her literary talents at the Harlem Writers’ Guild.

Among numerous honours was her invitation to
compose and deliver a poem, “On the Pulse of Morning”, for the inauguration of
U.S President Bill Clinton in 1993. One of her famous quotes is “ There is no
agony than bearing an untold story inside you”. These lines portrayed her
utmost zeal to voice her opinions. Further, critic Robert B. Stepto praises her
for borrowing “ various folks rhythms and forms and thereby buttresses her
poems by evoking aspects of a culture’s written and unwritten heritage”.

ABOUT THE POEM

The poem “ I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” also known
as “ Caged Bird” was published in the
year 1983 in the poetry collection “Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing?” It describes
the early years of the American writer and poet and conveys the notion of how
the strength of character and love of literature can help overcome racism and
trauma. It is said that the writers James Baldwin and cartoonist Julie Feiffer inspired
her to write this famous workpiece. The poem can be seen as a portrayal of
social disparity, and the ideals of freedom and justice. Angelo, with the use
of metaphorical birds, represents the inequality of justice seen in the society
of her time which differentiates between the African-American community and its
White counterparts. It is a heart-wrenching poem that reflects on the mindless
oppression the Blacks were subjected to back in olden days. Maya Angelou takes
her title from Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s poem entitled Sympathy. Dunbar’s caged
bird sings from the frustration of imprisonment; its song is a form of prayer.
In addition, Angelou’s caged bird sings also from frustration, in doing so, she
uncovers the fact that the song transforms the cage from a prison that denies
selfhood to a vehicle for self-realization.

STRUCTURE OF THE POEM

THE
POEM

A
free bird leaps

on
the back of the wind

and
floats downstream

till
the current ends

and
dips his wing

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
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 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.

The poem is a free verse. There are a total of six
stanzas in the poem with the third stanza being repeated at the end. Each line
begins with a capital letter and the rest are in small letters. The poet has
not used any comma, semicolon at the end, indicating the rhythmic flow of the
verse. Angelo does not allow meter, rhyme, and stanza to control her poetry.
She allowed the unrestricted flow in the sentences to intensify the importance
of freedom in life. In the 36 lined poem, all the lines are very unembellished
which helps to convey the complete meaning. In each sentence of the poem, the
noun is placed in front of the verb, which might be because the poet wanted the
readers to focus on the differences between the lives of the two birds that are
caged and free and bring out their different dreams. This poem derives its
power from rich vibrant imagery that encourages the readers to appreciate and
interpret the poem in a variety of ways. The number of syllables in each line is
inconsistent. There is a repetition of the word “freedom”. Also, the third
stanza is also repeated at the end which brings out the importance of freedom
in the life of every being.

LITERARY DEVICES OF THE POEM

There are many poetic devices in the poem. Some of
them are discussed below:-

1. Metaphor – A figure of speech in
which a comparison between two different things is implied, but not clearly stated.
Examples in the poem are:

·
“ Caged Bird”

·
“ Bars of Rage”

·
“Narrow cage”

2. Repetition – The third stanza is
repeated at the end.

“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.”

3. Personification–The abstract ideas
are invested with personality and both inanimate and abstract ideas are endowed
with the attributes of living beings. The example of personification in this
poem is “ His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream”, here shadow is
personified.

4. Hyperbole– It is identified as
an extravagant exaggeration, not to be taken literally but used figuratively to
create emphasis.

5. Allusion– The title of the
poem is a reference to Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy”.

THEME OF THE POEM

There are various
themes of the poem and it touches a wide arena of perspectives.

1. Freedom versus
Enslavement: The theme of freedom and confinement I.e.
enslavement is prominent throughout the poem. The portrayal of the free bird
living a life of phenomenal joy and liberty stands for freedom, while
enslavement is symbolized by the shackled life of the caged bird whose “wings, are clipped and his feet are tied”.

The poem begins with
a free leaping bird gliding in the open sky and is exposed to all the pleasures
of freed self.

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

However, the caged bird lives an enslaved life in a
“narrow cage”. It represents the social disparity between the Whites and the
African-American communities during the times of the Civil War.

Moreover, the free bird is aware of its freedom and
dares to claim the sky it’s own. It flies through the orange hue of the sky and
dips its wings. With the use of the colour imagery of orange rays, the effect
heightens -as orange is a colour associated with glow and contentment.

The free bird thinks of another breeze I.e. the wishes
to get the most of his liberty and also feeds on “ fat worms”; on the contrary,
the only thing attainable for the caged bird is his voice through which it can
sing his song of unmeasured melancholy. Singing is symbolic of his rebellion
against oppression. The idea of freedom is “unknown” to him yet the bird yearns
for the long awaiting enjoyment. An abolitionist Frederick Douglass once said,
“ Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy”. The poem ends on a positive remark
as the voice of the caged bird is heard on a distant hill “ and his voice is
heard on a distant hill”.

2. Racism and
Slavery: The poem conveys the pent up sentiments of the
poet against racial discrimination and social injustice in the form of slavery
which was prevalent in America in the Civil War era. Though the poet never
mentions it directly. The “free” bird represents the privileged Whites whereas
the “caged” bird an extended metaphor depicts the enslaved African – American
community of America. It captures the
overwhelming agony and barbarity of oppression of the marginalized communities
by relating it to the misery of the forever caged bird. Until 1965, under a
system of racial segregation, named “ Jim Crow” the blacks of the Southern
United States, lived in poverty. They were denied basic needs like the right to
vote, public transport owing to their colour.