Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a startling autobiography that touches on themes such as
race, sexuality, love, and identity
. Maya Angelou recounts being abandoned by her parents, raped by her mother's lover, and struggling with figuring out who she is.
What is the theme of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?
The main themes in “Caged Bird” are
freedom and confinement, artistic expression as resistance, and civil rights
. Freedom and confinement: As its title indicates, “Caged Bird” is concerned with both imprisonment and the innate urge 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 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 mood of caged bird?
This poem evokes the sympathy of its reader for the bird who cannot soar under the sun with the wind beneath his wings. Still, the bird's spirit is resilient and the imprisoned bird expresses his desire to soar despite his bindings. The overall tone of the poem is
sorrowful, but persevering
.
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 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 does the caged bird singing reveal about him?
What does the caged bird's singing reveal about him? Answer: It reveals that
he is unhappy and wants to be free.
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 figurative language is used in Still I Rise?
Metaphors and Similes
. The poet uses many similes and metaphors throughout the poem: “But still, like air, I'll rise” (simile)—No matter what the speaker's oppressors do to harm her, she will rise above the challenges, just as air rises.
How does the caged bird feel?
Pet birds are often kept in cramped cages where they are unable even to stretch their wings and never know the joy of flying or the happiness of freedom. Birds in cages crave freedom and companionship and often exhibit
aggressive, neurotic, and self-destructive behavior
as they languish in cramped cages.
What are the fears of the caged bird?
Thus, the caged bird's fear is about
the uncertainty of achieving freedom in the future
. Its fears reflect those of the blacks who no more wish to go through the pains of racism, discrimination and bestial treatment at the hands of the whites.
What does the piece say about the caged bird?
The poem states that the caged bird sings
“of things unknown / but longed for still.
” The speaker then clarifies: “the caged bird / sings of freedom.” Because freedom is a thing “unknown” to the caged bird, the implication is that the caged bird was not taken from his natural environment, but rather was likely born in …
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
.
What is the background of the poem the Caged Bird?
After the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Angelou was
inspired by a meeting with writer James Baldwin and cartoonist Jules Feiffer to write I Know
Why the Caged Bird Sings as a way of dealing with the death of her friend and to draw attention to her own personal struggles with racism.
