“Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou

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.

Angelou, Maya. “Caged Bird by Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird.

I chose this poem purely because of the title. The title did its job in being such a well written hook and drew me in like it does to most readers. The idea of a ‘caged bird’ brings about the idea of something being wrong. Caged has a typically negative connotation, often referring to being held somewhere against that things will. It is being imprisoned or captured, not a situation that most people would like to be put into. The idea of this negative connotation was used perfectly by Angelou. As a history nerd there are many examples of people caging others and Angelou using this to describe the African Americans during the Civil Rights movement was ingenious.

Angelou’s most prominent literary device is rather evident but holds a very heavy affect on the poem as a whole- imagery. Angelou refers to the African American community as the caged bird, the one attempting to escape, while a second bird roam free outside, the White community. Angelou states towards the end of the poem, “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.” (Angelou 23-26). The bird, evidently trapped and in distress, can do nothing but open its mouth. Angelou is speaking as the entire African American community when she mentions that the community can do nothing but speak. They could not do much in terms of proper actions as that was just how things were. They were forced to resort to using their words and rallying together to make a difference.

That is the message that Angelou is then trying to make clear anyone reading her poem. As the last line of her poem states, “for the caged bird / sings of freedom.” (Angelou 37-38. Freedom is all they can work towards, and with their words is all they have. The entire poem is about only being able to speak up, but using those few words to make such a different. It is a beautiful poem about finding identity and Angelou is absolutely validated to write about this. It is also ironic as it refers back to how she went mute as a child and is now using words as her weapon. It is a delicately written poem that embraces exactly what it wishes to and speaks the words the bird sings, words of freedom.