thesis statement for caged bird poem

A Summary and Analysis of Maya Angelou’s ‘Caged Bird’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Caged Bird’ is a 1983 poem by the African-American poet and memoirist Maya Angelou (1928-2014). The poem originally appeared in Angelou’s collection Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing? The poem uses the image of a caged bird to explore issues of confinement, oppression, and restriction.

You can read ‘Caged Bird’ here before proceeding to our analysis of Angelou’s poem below.

The poem is divided into six stanzas. In the first stanza, Angelou describes a free bird leaping in the wind, floating through the air until its wing appears to touch the rays of the sun. She likens this to the bird ‘claiming’ the sky, like someone claiming a particular territory as their possession.

By contrast, the second stanza describes the caged bird which provides the poem with its title. This bird’s horizons are far narrower than the free bird’s: he (Angelou describes the bird as male) has been rendered almost blind by his anger at having his wings clipped so he cannot fly away. His feet are tied together to limit his movement further. All he can do is sing – so he opens his throat to do so.

The third stanza tells us what the caged bird’s song consists of. He sings in a frightened manner, about things he doesn’t know or hasn’t experienced (such as freedom, we assume) but which he longs to have. Although he is imprisoned in his cage, the bird’s song can travel beyond the bars of his cage and be heard on a hill far away.

In the fourth stanza, Angelou returns to the free bird, who, she imagines, thinks of the territory of the air and sky which he had claimed as his own in the opening stanza. This bird also thinks of the worms waiting for him on a lawn somewhere, which he will be able to eat.

The fifth stanza once again contrasts this free bird’s existence with that of the caged bird. The caged bird stands upon a grave which represents the death of dreams (for instance, of a better life, such as that enjoyed by the free bird). The bird’s shadow is cast upon the wall behind it where it stands in its caged, its feet tied and wings clipped, and it once again prepares to sing.

The sixth and final stanza is a word-for-word repetition of the poem’s third stanza, in which the caged bird sings in a frightened manner, about things he doesn’t know or hasn’t experienced but which he longs to have. Although he is imprisoned in his cage, the bird’s song can travel beyond the bars of his cage and be heard on a hill far away.

In this poem, Maya Angelou gives voice to a common theme of the American Civil Rights movement : the longing for freedom and equality. The free bird is able to live as a free agent, and has dominion over the sky that is his natural habitat. By contrast, the caged bird is bound and his wings are clipped to restrict his movements, so he cannot live the life he was born to live.

Angelou’s contrast and juxtaposition between the free and caged birds offers a powerful metaphor, or analogy, for the struggle of African Americans to win their freedom: freedom from discrimination and oppression, and freedom to live as white Americans live.

Twenty years before she published ‘Caged Bird’, Maya Angelou had been an important participant in the Civil Rights struggle. One of the most rousing moments of the struggle came in 1963, the year of the march on Washington , which saw some 210,000 African Americans gather at the Washington Monument before marching to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., the US capital.

They were marching for several reasons, including jobs, but the main reason was freedom: King and many other Civil Rights leaders sought to remove segregation of black and white Americans and to ensure black Americans were treated the same as white Americans. 1963 was the centenary of the Emancipation Proclamation , in which then US President Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) had freed the African slaves in the United States in 1863.

Slavery was now a thing of the past in the US, but a century on from the abolition of slavery, Black Americans were still not free in many respects. This is something Martin Luther King addressed in his memorable ‘I Have a Dream’ speech delivered that day at the Lincoln Memorial. In his speech, King outlined a dream or aspiration in which America was no longer a nation divided by racial segregation and discrimination, and African Americans were truly free, not just by being freed from slavery, but by being recognised as equal in the eyes of the nation’s laws.

Angelou’s reference to the ‘grave of dreams’ in the fifth stanza of her poem may even be intended as an allusion to King, whose ‘dream’ of racial equality had still not been fully realised. King himself was dead, having been assassinated in 1968. Did the dream of an equal society die with King, Angelou seems to ask? Is it with King in his grave?

Angelou does not make the birds ‘white’ and ‘black’, with the caged bird being the latter (unlike, say, Paul McCartney’s song, ‘ Blackbird ’, about the Civil Rights movement). And through resisting such reductive symbolism, she allows ‘Caged Bird’ to resonate as both a poem about racial inequality in the US and a more universal statement about inequality of all kinds, whether caused by race, class, or some other factor.

There are just two things which define the caged bird: the fact that he is caged and tied and unable to fly, and the fact that he can sing. In other words, he has a voice, as Martin Luther King had a voice back in Washington in 1963. And through singing, he can draw attention to his plight and the injustice of his condition. Perhaps Angelou is also recalling William Blake’s memorable couplet from his ‘ Auguries of Innocence ’:

A Robin Red breast in a Cage Puts all Heaven in a Rage

Angelou’s poem is not strictly in free verse , because she utilises rhyme at various points, and there is the ghost of a metre behind her lines. For example, the stanzas beginning ‘The caged bird sings’ are largely written in iambic dimeter, which involves two iambs per line. But the form is not stringently regular either, such as we’d find in a traditional sonnet, for example.

The poem thus combines freedom and restraint, aptly echoing, through its form, the plights of the two very different birds – birds who are, in the last analysis, not different at all, of course, but merely subject to very different circumstances.

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Analysis: “Caged Bird”

“Caged Bird” features an extended metaphor that compares the plight of the birds in the poem to oppressed people in the real world. Angelou’s entire literary career corresponded with her activism for social justice for Black Americans and for women, and this poem works as an activist message for both groups.

The caged bird metaphor is an allusion to a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar called “Sympathy” (1899). Dunbar’s poem is also about the plight of Black Americans, and Angelou appropriated it for the title of her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , which details Angelou’s early years navigating childhood trauma and racism.

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Caged bird themes.

Beginning with the opening stanza, in which the speaker uses imagery to describe the free bird's unrestrained access to the wind, sun, and sky, " Caged Bird " foregrounds freedom as its most dominant theme. As the poem progresses, Angelou contrasts the free bird's access to freedom with the caged bird's song of freedom, which expresses his lament for his confinement and his longing to live free. By juxtaposing the two birds' perspectives, Angelou shows how the free bird feels an inherent entitlement to his freedom; meanwhile, the caged bird understands the true value of freedom because it is something he has never known but that his spirit yearns for nonetheless. In this way, Angelou presents a paradox in which the caged bird is a better authority on freedom than the bird who is already immersed in freedom, in the same way that an insomniac has a particular understanding of the value of sleep. In an allegorical reading of the poem, the free bird's sense of ownership over the world he freely moves through represents the unconscious privilege of white Americans who benefit from an economy and government that assigns greater value to their lives.

In "Caged Bird," Angelou uses the theme of oppression as a foil to the theme of freedom. In contrast to the free bird who soars on currents of wind, the titular caged bird is imprisoned in his cage with clipped wings and tied feet; the caged bird is so frustrated with his situation that he often cannot see through his "bars of rage." But because of the oppressive circumstances that limit his natural inclination to take flight, the caged bird resorts to singing a song of freedom. The song travels far, transcending the airspace through which the bird would like to fly. In this way, the bird's song is both a consequence and overcoming of his oppression. While he is not free to fly, his soul expresses the freedom he yearns for. In an allegorical reading of the poem, the oppressive circumstances the caged bird lives in represent the systemic oppression of Black Americans.

Encapsulated in the song of freedom the caged bird repeats, resilience is another of the poem's major themes. The speaker's description of the caged bird's song as a song of freedom is a paradox: although the bird only knows its cage and "sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still," the speaker recognizes that the bird's song is freedom is another form. While the bird cannot physically leave his cage, his voice travels through the same airspace that the free bird's body soars. Interpreting the bird's song as an expression of his longing for a freedom he has never known but his soul craves nonetheless, Angelou emphasizes the beauty of the caged bird's resilience in spite of the conditions that confine him. In an allegorical reading of the poem, the caged bird's capacity to recover from difficulties represents the resilience of Black Americans whose spirits remain steadfast despite oppressive material conditions.

Caged Bird Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Caged Bird is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The free bird can claim the sky: a metaphor for free blacks in the United States, while a caged bird is in his 'bar of rage' . The caged bird represents oppressed blacks in the United States.

Symbolic structure of caged bird

The caged bird’s song is a symbol for the freedom he longs for but has never known. Confined to a cage, the bird uses the power of his voice to move through the airspace his body cannot access. Although the bird cannot fly, he can still express...

Through juxtaposing a bird who feels entitled to his freedom and a caged bird who longs for a freedom he has never known, "Caged Bird" presents an allegory for the difference between how white and Black Americans, respectively, experience their...

Study Guide for Caged Bird

Caged Bird study guide contains a biography of Maya Angelou, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Caged Bird
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Essays for Caged Bird

Caged Bird essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Caged Bird by Maya Angelou.

• Maya Angelou & Protest Poetry: An Essay

Poetry & Poets

Explore the beauty of poetry – discover the poet within

Why Maya Angelou Write Caged Bird

Maya Angelou wrote ‘A Caged Bird’ to explore the power and potential within incarcerated individuals. The poem uses vivid imagery, eloquent phrases and strong messages to bring life and lyricism to an otherwise restricted topic. By exploring the idea of confinement, Angelou allows readers to indulge in a range of emotions and understand how, when placed in a prison of mental oppression, liberation can come in many forms.

Angelou’s intention behind the poem is to express how hope can still be alive in individuals who find a way to rise above their caged and restrictive situation by sourcing strength within. Through her own life experiences, Angelou conveys the immense power of the human spirit – whether caged, confined, forgotten and oppressed – to hold on to dreams even when society has given up on them.

The poem each stanza has a unique line and each lines are supporting the idea of freedom despite being caged. With strong analogies, Angelou challenges readers to think about freedom of spirit and how an individual can still be free and fly even when ‘locked’ away from everyone else. The imagery Angelou uses to describe the ‘caged bird’ bridges the gap between language and emotion and gives a surprisingly hopeful message to readers. The poem touches on many of Angelou’s favorite themes, such as suffering, hope, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Angelou was a notable figure in the Civil Rights Movement and was confronted with great injustice throughout her life. People during this time had little to no voice in society and many were simply forgotten in the fight for equality. As a result, Angelou’s words, through the poem, become a source of liberation, a way to be heard and seen in an otherwise invisible world. By writing ‘A Caged Bird,’ Angelou was able to connect with those who felt a sense of displacement and bestow a sense of hope and courage in them.

The poem is a testament to Angelou’s own struggles and her ability to reclaim her right to freedom and dignity, even when her entire world seemed to be working against her. Through the utilisation of a universal message, Angelou was able to resonate with readers who, like her, were yearning for a liberal point of view and sense of human dignity. Angelou’s powerful words and reflection on the concept of confinement become most impactful when we fully consider the power of her message. ‘A Caged Bird’ ultimately becomes an anthem for liberation, encouraging individuals to find a way to prevail no matter the odds.

The Strength Of Hope

Angelou’s poem is a direct example of hope, strength, and courage that exalts even when the individual feels the most caged and oppressed. ‘A Caged Bird’ provides readers with a sense of escapism and liberation even in their direst moments; it offers hope and serves as a reminder of how transcendent we can be even when the chances of success seem slim to none. By writing the poem, Angelou was indirectly providing readers with the opportunity to rise as well, to not always succumb to the weighted bars of confinement but to instead think of a pathway that they can reach liberation.

With its simple yet captivating rhyme scheme and the declarative statements within the poem, Angelou manages to portray the resilience and strength that exists even in the most isolated of circumstances. We can take away from Angelou’s poem that there is immense power in hope and that freedom does not have to always come in the traditional sense. Through metaphor and unrestrained lyricism, Angelou conveys how hope can exist even in the most caged and restrictive of conditions and it is up to each individual reader to find their way out of the cage.

The Depth Of Imagery

Angelou manages to capture the depth of humanity through her poem, employing both poignant and powerful imagery that is able to simultaneously honor the complexity of each individual’s struggles and signify the potential for growth and liberation. Angelou’s narrative within the poem strengthens the concept that each individual has an obligation to rise above the consensus and secure a sense of freedom and dignity for themselves.

The poem is an exploration of the struggle against oppression, a reminder of the depth of human emotion and the value of true freedom and fortitude. Angelou captures the internal journey a person must take to source hope within and make a positive transformation. It is through this poem that Angelou conveys the power of the individual to capture their dreams even when the foundations of society are built against them.

The poem is also a reflection of Angelou’s own ambitions, which were to inspire, empower, and motivate individuals to embrace their own freedom and an outlook that they can still make a difference, no matter what odds they face. Through the use of powerful imagery, metaphor and emotion, Angelou drives home the point that the individual is always in control of the own fate and that through persistence, determination, and courage any adversity can be overcome.

The Interpretation Of Freedom

Angelou’s interpretation of freedom in ‘A Caged Bird’ reflects her own interpretation of true liberation, that freedom can come from within, from overcoming one’s own restrictions and believing in their own potential even in their most caged of situations. This perspective allows readers to gain a greater understanding of their own potential both in their internal and external environments, offering the reader just as much advice and instruction as comfort and solace.

This interpretation of freedom breaks away from traditional perceptions that liberation needs to be sourced externally, but rather encourages readers to think of within, of how they can use the resources within themselves to reach out towards freedom and liberation. By using vivid and evocative language, Angelou provides readers with a sense of escapism and encourages them to think of themselves in a more liberating way.

The descant of Maya Angelou’s voices within the poem allow readers to experience freedom first hand and understand that there are resources around them to help find ways of liberating their minds, hearts and souls. By leading her readers on an emotional imageries of how grace and hope can come in the midst of oppression, Angelou destabilises the traditional notion of what freedom entails and invites readers to look inwards to find their own sense of liberation.

The Power Of Acceptance

The poem speaks largely of an acceptance of the various predicaments individuals are faced with and how they can use this knowledge to their advantage. Angelou presents an alternative interpretation of how one might feel imprisoned and how, rather than giving into their situation, they can use this to their advantage and make something great out of it. The idea that Angelou puts forward is that sometimes isolating ourselves and creating a wall between us and the world can help us achieve a higher state of freedom.

The poem reflects the themes of acceptance and stillness, underlining the importance of accepting where we are in life and leveraging our resources to ultimately rise above the situation. The poem presents freedom as a mental concept and endurance as the catalyst of liberation for both the ‘winged and caged’ birds, which in turn provides readers with the opportunity to think differently about freedom.

By presenting readers with the fundamentals of acceptance and a sense of power, Angelou illustrates how, by understanding our emotional imprisonment, we can discover a new space of freedom as well as co-exist in our new situations by making use of the unique experiences we must endure.

The Essence Of Energy

The poem concludes with a sense of energy and enthusiasm, despite what hardships were incurred during the journey to reach realization and liberation. The language Angelou chooses is full of a sense of possibility, with hope and captivation floating within each stanza. Through her words, Angelou communicates to readers that growth and gain can come through adversity and that in spite of the struggles, a sense of energy and strength is always within reach.

The poem does not only demonstrate Angelou’s prowess for probing the depths of the human condition, but skill for creating an intoxicating blend of words that inspire and evoke emotion in readers. Once again, Angelou invites readers to think differently and to reimagine the idea of freedom, while illustrating that even in one’s most isolated and caged moments, hope can still be alive.

Angelou’s ‘A Caged Bird’ remains a poetic benchmark for freedom, liberation and resilience in the face of oppression. It becomes an anthem for misunderstood and forgotten individuals the world over. By drawing on the power of the human spirit, the poem speaks to issues of confinement, freedom and faith in a touching, lyrical way. ‘A Caged Bird’ is an example of how Angelou was able to use her writing as a form of liberation and to offer hope and support to those who felt misunderstood and forgotten.

Dannah Hannah is an established poet and author who loves to write about the beauty and power of poetry. She has published several collections of her own works, as well as articles and reviews on poets she admires. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a specialization in poetics, from the University of Toronto. Hannah was also a panelist for the 2017 Futurepoem book Poetry + Social Justice, which aimed to bring attention to activism through poetry. She lives in Toronto, Canada, where she continues to write and explore the depths of poetry and its influence on our lives.

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya angelou, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Caged Bird Sings: Introduction

Caged bird sings: plot summary, caged bird sings: detailed summary & analysis, caged bird sings: themes, caged bird sings: quotes, caged bird sings: characters, caged bird sings: symbols, caged bird sings: theme wheel, brief biography of maya angelou.

Historical Context of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Other books related to i know why the caged bird sings.

• Full Title: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• When Written: 1969
• Where Written: USA
• When Published: 1969
• Literary Period: Postwar / Contemporary
• Genre: Memoir / autobiographical fiction
• Setting: Stamps, Arkansas; St. Louis; California
• Point of View: Maya narrates in 1st person.

Extra Credit for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Inaugural Poet. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. This made her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost in 1961.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings — Analysis Of The Poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou

Analysis of The Poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

• Categories: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Joseph Campbell Poetry

About this sample

Words: 905 |

Published: Sep 1, 2020

Words: 905 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

• Angelou, M. (1969). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House.
• American Civil Rights Movement. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from [URL]
• Fairclough, A. (2015). Better Day Coming: Blacks and Equality, 1890-2000. Penguin Books.
• Hine, D. C., Hine, W. C., & Harrold, S. (2014). The African-American Odyssey: Volume 2 (6th ed.). Pearson.
• McWhorter, D. (2011). What the Negro Wants. Oxford University Press.
• Morris, A. D. (1999). The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for Change. Free Press.
• Ransby, B. (2003). Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision. The University of North Carolina Press.
• Sale, K. (1997). The Fire Next Time: The Emergence of Social Conservatism from the Rights Revolution to the New Left. University of North Carolina Press.
• Sitkoff, H. (2008). The Struggle for Black Equality (2nd ed.). Hill and Wang.
• Wolters, R. (2013). Race, Riots, and Roller Coasters: The Struggle over Segregated Recreation in America. University of Pennsylvania Press.

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