The story shows Maya's personal journey as she works through her poor self-concept, unstable home life, sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy. Some of the critical themes of this story surround
racism, self-acceptance, and belonging
.
What is the theme of the poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?
The poem describes the opposing experiences between two birds: one bird is able to live in nature as it pleases, while
a different caged bird suffers in captivity
. Due to its profound suffering, the caged bird sings, both to cope with its circumstances and to express its own longing for freedom.
What is the main theme of caged bird?
The predominant theme of the poem is
freedom
. The first line depicts this by introducing “the free bird.” And the opposite theme is “slavery.” A caged bird in captivity “sings of freedom.” The caged bird was created for freedom as a free bird. Nonetheless, it is in an unnatural situation, trapped in a cage.
What figure of speech is used in Caged Bird?
Some of the dominant figures of speech in Maya Angelou's Caged Bird include
metaphor, personification, alliteration, and repetition
. Sighing and shouting are human attributes. (5) Repetition: There is repetition of stanza three in stanza six.
What is the main message in Still I Rise?
What's the Theme of Still I Rise?” “Still I Rise” is primarily about
self-respect and confidence
. In the poem, Angelou reveals how she will overcome anything through her self-esteem. She shows how nothing can get her down.
What is the caged bird a metaphor for?
The Caged Bird Metaphor is a common Animal Metaphor whereby a character—often a woman or girl in an oppressive environment—is associated with a caged bird,
symbolizing their sense of confinement and longing for freedom
.
What is ironic about the caged bird?
‘The caged bird sings with a fearful trill'. This sentence is ironic as the caged bird is
the one singing not the free bird as we expect
. However, the words ‘fearful' and ‘trill' makes us realize that actually it is not a happy tune but a desperate cry for freedom.
What is the caged bird symbolic of?
Angelou uses the metaphor of a bird struggling to escape its cage, described in Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, as a prominent symbol throughout her series of autobiographies. Like elements within a prison narrative, the caged bird represents
Angelou's confinement resulting from racism and oppression
.
What is the best example of personification in Caged Bird?
Personification: Maya Angelou has used personification such as
“sighing trees”
as if trees are feeling sorrow. Also, she has personified the bird by changing its pronoun from ‘its' to ‘his'.
What kind of poem is Caged Bird?
Structure and Form
‘Caged Bird' by Maya Angelou is a six stanza poem that is separated into stanzas that range in length. Angelou chose to write the poem in
free verse
. This means that there is no single rhyme scheme or metrical pattern that unites all the lines. But, there are some examples of an iambic meter.
How many figures of speech are there?
The five major categories. In European languages, figures of speech are generally classified in five major categories: (1)
figures of resemblance or relationship
, (2) figures of emphasis or understatement, (3) figures of sound, (4) verbal games and gymnastics, and (5) errors.
What is the symbolism in Still I Rise?
In “Still I Rise,” Maya Angelou uses gold mines and oil wells as
symbols of wealth and confidence
. She also uses natural imagery, including the sun, the moon, the tides, and the air, to symbolize the inevitability of her continued rise beyond the reach of oppression.
What message does the poem Still I Rise convey to the readers?
If you count the poem's title, the words “I rise” or “I'll rise” are repeated eleven times in this poem. That gives the reader a clear indication that “rising” is the main theme of this great poem. These words convey
a message of hope, of victory over oppression, and of certainty of prevailing over one's problems
.
What kind of poem is Still I Rise by Maya Angelou?
“Still I Rise” by American author Maya Angelou is
a lyric poem
. Lyric poems are a type of poetry that prominently feature literary…
What kind of imagery is used in Caged Bird?
Imagery: Angelou has used
vivid imageries
. ‘Orange sun rays', ‘distant hills', fat worms' etc are examples of visual imageries while ‘sighing trees', ‘nightmare scream' and ‘fearful trill' are auditory imageries.
What literary devices are used in caged bird?
Poetic devices used in Maya Angelou's poem “Caged Bird” include
allegory, anthropomorphism, rhyme, metaphor, personification, mood, imagery, alliteration, and repetition
.
