Critical Analysis Of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Poem By Maya Angelou ICSE Class 9, 10 English literature
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First Stanza
“A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream”
The first verse is replete with the notion of liberty. The poem opens with reference to the flight of a free bird who springs free from the ground to fly in the guidance of the air current. It is as if it glides it the lap of the sky. The words “ leaps on the back of the wind” and “ floats downstream” capture the ease of movement which freedom brings along.
“till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.”
Here, the movement of the bird in the sky is depicted. It looks as if the bird had submerged in the orange hue if the sun covering the sky. The bird glides in the atmosphere. Gliding, unlike flight, is a low strength consuming recreation which the poem describes as an effortless, leisurely movement. It grips an exclusive white-privilege and brings forth the opportunities and possibilities which a socially acclaimed individual can attain.
Second Stanza
“But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage”
The second stanza begins with a “But” which reflects a sharp contrast between the first and succeeding stanzas. The state of confinement of the caged bird is echoed throughout the following lines. The shackles were so powerful that the bird is caged in both physical and psychological perception. Generations of racial bias have rendered him blind with resentment that he seldom sees through his bars of rage.
“his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.”
The wings of the bird are clipped and his feet are bound. He could hardly move — which is a sharp contrast to the free bird which glides and strides in the open sky and even “ dares to claim the sky”. The poem works with stark opposing imageries, juxtaposed against each other. Here, the caged bird sings out of suffering. An abolitionist Frederick Douglass once said, “Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy”. The cage limits the bird’s “ line of sight” and it sings in grief.
Third Stanza
“The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still”
These is the most poignant lines of the poem. The caged bird hasn’t encountered the type of freedom the free bird experiences. It quavers while singing of the things unknown. The bird knows nothing about the freedom but still longs for its existence because the core of it recognizes it as a basic requirement.
“and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom”
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., was an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement.
Fourth Stanza
“The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees”
These lines go back to the unrestricted movement of the free bird. These shows us how one’s surrounding play an integral part in shaping one’s aspirations and one’s vision of the self. The brilliant visual, aural and palpable imagery captures the delight of the free bird. The idea of ease and abundance is predominant here.
“and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own”
In the following lines, we find that the independent bird is exposed to the abundance of nature. It can fly freely and satisfy its hunger on “fat worms”. Visual imagery of nature is prominent in use if words like- “ dawn”, “bright lawn”, “ sky”. The bird is so free that he supposedly “ names the sky his own.”
Fifth Stanza
“But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream”
The cage has now become the grave of the bird’s ambition. The damage that has been done to the bird’s sanity can be measured by the fact that his shadow shouts on a “nightmare scream” resulting from the frustration. The imagery of death and suffering prevails in these lines.
“his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.”
These remind us of the condition of the caged bird in the former lines. Angelo paints a vital portrait of oppression in which she illuminates the privilege and entitlement of the uncompressed, and conveys the event of suffering and emotional strength.
Sixth Stanza
The sixth stanza is a refrain of the stanza three. This repetition, in turn, gives a bold assertion of the agency of the caged bird. She years for a condition which is inherently attached to its very presence: the state of being free.