I KNOW WHY THE

CAGED BIRD SINGS

BY MAYA ANGELOU
ABOUT THE POET
• Maya Angelou (1923-2014)
• World renowned African-American poetess.
• Versatile prolific writer with vast and checkered life experience.
• The black woman’s poet laureate.
• Throughout her childhood she experienced the brutal oppression and discrimination
against the black people, especially in the Southern states of the USA. She was
victimized because she was a female as well.
• From early age she understood the misery, the sense of helplessness, the frustration and
the anger which was felt by the underprivileged, who were oppressed and treated
brutally by the powerful and the privileged.
ABOUT THE POEM
• 6 stanzas of varying length. Theme of society.
• The stanzas contrasts about 2 birds; free bird and the caged bird.
• Racial segregation and discrimination where the black people are submerged by the white
people.
• Grave social injustice on the sharp contrast between the rights and privileges experienced by 2
ethic groups in Maya’s racially segregated society.
• A metaphorical or symbolical poem. (use of many metaphors and symbols.)
• Metaphorical depiction of a serious social defect that prevails in the human society.
• It is about the importance and need of freedom while using the ‘caged bird’ as an extended
metaphor for the oppressed, suppressed who are in the grave of social injustice with untold
restrictions. ( absence of freedom) it creates an enormous sympathy and sorrow in the readers
mind. The whole poem is a tragedy.
• The tone of the poetess is sad and melancholic.
Stanza 1
SUMMARY
The free bird seamlessly flies. The free bird is a symbol of freedom and
The free bird leaps
privileges. The vast sky it flies on its own will. It leaps into the wind, floats
on the back of the wind until the wind stops. It dips its wings in the sun rays and takes the whole
sky under its domination.
and float downstream
till the current ends The free bird gets to enjoy everything without much effort. He is at an
advantage over the caged bird. No opportunity is given to the caged
and dips his wings
bird. He is subjected to many limitations and restrictions.
in the orange sun rays The free bird dares to claim the sky not because he is smarter or
and dares to claim the sky. cleverer than the caged bird but merely because the caged bird is
placed at a big disadvantage in stark captivity.

• ‘His’ shows the possession that is personified. The anaphora ‘and’ emphasizes and appeal the
emotions of the audience to inspire, motivate and encourage others, its shows the lack of restriction
and creates a need for freedom.
• The enjambment shows the continuous freedom of the bird that is not hindered by any natural
phenomena.
• A visual imagery of a free bird is created here.
• Hyperbole ‘dares to claim the sky’ emphasizes the magnitude of the reach of the bird to show the
comparison in an amplified tone.
• The sky symbolizes the kingdom of freedom. Free bird symbolizes the privileged.
Stanza 2 The caged bird is unable to fly. He only walks stiffly lifting his feet. He could rarely see
through his bars of rage- he cant’s see the world outside because his view is covered
But a bird that stalks with the bars of the cage. Metaphorically, he is filled with fury and hatred the he has
no collected calm and clear mind to see anything. He is trapped within the cage, his
down his narrow cage
wings clipped and the feet tied so that it is not free to move about as it pleases. He
can seldom see through enjoys no opportunity to fly or to claim the sky its own. Despite all these gruesomeness,
the caged bird years for freedom. A prisoner which anxiously waits for precious
his bars of rage freedom.
This stanza portrays the social injustice and discrimination. As the caged bird is
his wings are clipped and already trapped, why does it have to be narrow? Why do his wings need to be
his feet are tied clipped? And why his feet need to be tied? The caged bird symbolizes the oppressed
who are deprived of their human rights and that sighs and cries for freedom. . Their
so he opens his throat to sing. anger and devastation leaves them with no other option but to voice their opinions.

‘Narrow cage’ - narrow stanzas- Restriction of movement. The formation of stanza mimics the narrow cage.
The alliteration of ‘seldom see’ creates a mood and tone to let the reader sense danger. An imagery of
restriction of sight.
The anaphora ‘his’ and the enjambment shows the continuous discrimination and social injustice.
‘Bars of rage’ a metaphor compared with the birds constant anger. Creates a visual imagery of the bird’s
anger.
This stanza announces and creates a pathetic situation of the innocent bird more serious and
cruel.
Stanza 3
The caged bird sings The caged bird sings with a fearful trill because he is in a fit of anger as he
has been deprived of his freedom. He sings of the things unknown- the
with fearful trill
caged birds rarely knows what freedom , rights or privileges, advantages,
of the things unknown comforts and luxuries actually mean because he has never experienced
but longed for still them first hand. Yet he bears a great desire to achieve those things
because he knows he is deprived of all such things in the captivity unlike
and his tune is heard the free bird.
on the distant hill for the caged bird Despite all the injustice he yearns the freedom and sings for freedom and
even its tune is heard in the distant hill. Its voice is fearful and quavering.
sings of freedom. The song of the caged bird is a sad and sorrowful one which pierce into
ones heart. It longs to sing unlike any birds. (usually a bird chirps
melodiously)
This stanza confirms the bird sings the song of freedom.
Sings is ironic
The oxymoron ‘fearful trill’ shows the emotional conflict of the caged bird. The longing for unknown
freedom. Creates a powerful and impatient tone of the vigorous demands.
Hyperbole ‘tune heard on the distant hill’ emphasizes their tune to show importance of the song. They
are not trapped within a literal cage but in social prejudices and branded as inferiors. Their struggle and
agony can be heard, it brings pathos from distant hill.
Auditory image is created here. Their voices are heard throughout the nation; the voice for freedom
from all the social barriers that torture them.
Stanza 4
As the free bird comes down when the winds are gentle,
The free bird thinks of another breeze there are plenty of fat worms waiting for him. He does not
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees have to work hard to earn his living. There is no competition
in the absence of the caged bird. Life is so easy for him. He
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn enjoys all comforts and luxuries. And he claims the sky his
and he names the sky his own. own. He enjoys everything by himself and leaves nothing for
the caged bird.
This stanzas enhances the life of a free bird with an extreme contrast. It’s a build up of a powerful image of
the bird. The privileged class hold power. They are blessed with power, wealth and freedom to do anything
without fear of retribution unlike the caged bird with fear.
The privileged master enjoys the comforts in the society while the poor stand on the ‘grave of dreams’ this
contrasts the social disparity where one party enjoys life and the other fights hard for survival.

‘Sighing trees’ is personified. The sympathetic people are yet unable to support or help in a big way.
‘Fat worms’ the metaphor represent the abundance of opportunities that’s available by the privileged.
Rhyming is present.
Once again anaphora ‘and’ shows the continuous comfort of the privileged.
‘Sky’ metaphorically means the land or country of the black people.
‘names the sky his own’ is a hyperbole.
Stanza 5
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams The caged bird’s dream never came true. They die then
and there and he virtually stands on the grave of his
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
dreams. He is now thoroughly exhausted and all his vigor
his wings are clipped and and energy is drained off dwindling him to a mere shadow.
his feet are tied He shadow eventually shouts a dreadful scream so
alarmed and shocked at the utter desperation. He is
so he opens his throat to sing. worrying of his miserable state. His shadow falls in the cage
like nightmare. He still sings a fearful song with an intention
to be free.
The oppressed also dreams of a free world. But their dream belongs to the grave as the dream eventually
and ultimately reduced to grave. It’s a lamenting yearning for freedom. The image of this stanza is highly
emotional. They have never experienced sweet dreams in their lives but nightmares. The repetition shows
the sufferings of the oppressed to arise sympathy. It deepens the grave and pathetic situation of the bird.
‘the grave of dreams’ metaphor.
The alliteration ‘Shadow shouts’ shows the restrictions. And its personified.
‘ Nightmare scream’ auditory imagery.
The anaphora ‘and’ once again shows us the continuous oppression that’s imposed on them.
Stanza 6
The caged bird sings The third stanza is repeated for the sole purpose of emphasis, for
with a fearful trill importance and urgency. The poet wants to draw the attention of the
readers to hear the desperate call for freedom and justice. The words
of things unknown ‘for the caged bird sings of freedom’ keeps echoing in the minds of the
but longed for still readers to feel sympathetic as we wish to wish them freedom forthwith.
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Juxtaposition
• The caged bird vs the free bird
• The oppressed vs the privileged

The poem contrasts the two birds-the free and the caged, metaphorically to portray the image
of their luxuries and sufferings of the privileged and the oppressed respectively. The poem itself
becomes the voice of the oppressed people, denied of freedom and social justice.
THANK YOU
BY FRIYAAL SIDDIQUE