I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

Chapter – 17

I Stanza wise analysis

Introduction

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is a free verse written by the American poet and civil rights
activist Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou is widely regarded as the “Black Woman’s Poet Laureate.” Her
reflections on the society and the times she lived in are vividly expressed in her poetry.

Outwardly the poem “I know why the caged bird sings” or “Caged Bird” as it is often interchangeably
known, can be seen as a reflection on social disparity, and the ideals of freedom and justice. Angelou, with
the metaphor of birds, represents the inequality of justice seen in the society of her time which differentiates
between the African-American community and its White American counterpart. Through her poem, she
also illustrates the nature of both freedom and captivity by creating a stark contrast between the two using
birds as the metaphor.

The poem is divided into six stanzas, describing the state of two birds, where one is free and ‘floats’ and
‘dares to claim the sky’, while the other is caged in his ‘bar of rage’. The first and the third stanza shows
the delight of the free bird experiencing freedom, whereas the rest of the stanzas concentrate on the plight
of the caged bird. Angelou puts greater emphasis on the lamentable state of the caged bird, and contrasts
this with that of the free bird.

First Stanza

The free bird leaps

on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

The opening lines show a bird leaping ‘on the back of the wind’ demonstrating the freedom it experience
to move about and glide freely through the air. It hovers over a stream of wind and floats downwards to
where the current of the stream ends and the wind is calm. It dips its wing in the sea of orange sunlight.

The bird is shown in a state of great tranquillity. It has the freedom to move about wherever it desires. It is
so utterly free and without restraints that it ‘dares to claim the sky’. The whole firmament is his one big
home.

Second stanza:

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.
Here, poet Maya Angelou contrasts the situation by presenting the image of a caged bird. The caged bird
tries to go after his cage in vain. The cage is narrow and its metaphorical bars are of rage. The caged bird
is seen to be angry with its situation. It desires with all its heart to escape its plight. But the caged bird
cannot see beyond his cage.

Its wings are clipped, that is, its freedom is taken away. Wings are associated with flight, which in turn is
associated with freedom. The words ‘his wings are clipped’ mean that its freedom is forcibly taken away.
It cannot fly even if it desires to. Its feet are tied.

A bird tied to the ground represents an image completely opposite to its true nature of flight. This represents
the fact of alienation of the bird. But the most important thing is that despite being in this utterly despondent
predicament, the caged bird ‘opens his throat to sing.’ That seems to be his only joy and achievement in
life.

Third Stanza:

The caged bird sings

with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The caged bird has a wavering voice. He is singing of freedom, something he does not have. The idea of
freedom is his dream, one he cannot achieve. So, he sings about it. There is fear in his voice. He had never
known what freedom tastes like, but hopes to have it for his own. His voice can be heard from distant
places, on hills where it inspires others to dream of freedom. The caged bird doesn’t sing of sadness, but of
hope, inspiration and of freedom.

Fourth stanza:

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.

The free bird on the other hand revels in his freedom. He enjoys flying through the trade wind that blows
through the trees. ‘Sighing trees’ probably refers to the sighing sound made by the breeze while passing
through the leafy branches. It gives an indication to their lack of freedom, as the trees are also ‘tied’ to the
ground like the caged bird.

The free bird thinks of the fat worm that will be his food. With the wind in his feathers, water and earth
beneath him, and the whole sky with him, he feels majestic in his freedom and calls the entire sky his own
domain. By ‘names the sky his own’ the poet’s wishes to express that the bird knows himself to be the
proprietor of this whole universe. Here the sky stands for the universe.
Fifth stanza:

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, inversely, knows that he is not flying in the sky, that he is not free, but a captive, a prisoner.
He thus ‘stands on the grave of dreams’ He knows his dreams of flying in a free firmament, to experience
freedom is futile. He had lost all hope of freedom. His shadow ‘shouts on a nightmare scream’. It is more
pitiable, more adverse than a nightmare. His wings are clipped and feet are tied; there is only a little hope
of freedom, and so the bird opens his throat to sing. The bird wishes to travail against all adversities. There
is a faint but kindling voice of hope in his song.

Sixth stanza:

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.

This refrain recurring as a stanza justifies the bird’s stout determination to keep going after his dream of
freedom. Moreover, the caged bird chooses to sing as this is the only freedom available to him, that he can
enjoy without any restriction. His wings are clipped, feet are tied, but his throat is not chocked yet. This is
something the poet have felt at heart and that’s why she uses the title ‘I Know Why the Cages Bird Sings’.
This might be seen as the poet’s message to raise our voice, to express ourselves even though the stronger
wants to suppress the weaker and to never ever give up, no matter what situation we are in.

Conclusion:
In many ways the poem ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ can be considered as the poet’s personal
expression. Maya Angelou can be regarded as the caged bird in the poem. A stanza in the poem is
repeated to catch the attention to the idea of the caged bird singing for freedom. The poem uses a metaphor
to compare caged birds to African Americans fighting for equality during the civil rights movement.

II Multiple choice questions :-

1. Which lines from the poem show that the caged bird has never been free?

A. “his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied / so he opens his throat to sing.”
B. “his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings for freedom.”
C. “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream”
D. “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still”

2. What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?

A. He is terribly unhappy.
B. He does not want to fly.
C. He is afraid to be free.
D. He does not want to be heard.
3. Why does the caged bird sing?
A. It wants to challenge the free bird.
B. It has to make others feel good.
C. It wants to entertain people.
D. It has only one way to express itself.

4. Read these lines from the poem. “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see
through his bars of rage” - What do these lines reveal about the caged bird?
A. The caged bird has strong feelings.
B. The caged bird is aware of its surroundings.
C. The caged bird has difficulty flying.
D. The caged bird is satisfied with its life.

5. According to the poem, the free bird can best be described as

A. content.
B. hungry.
C. cautious.
D. thoughtful.

6. What is the main conflict in this poem?

A. The caged bird hates the free bird.
B. The caged bird wants the life of the free bird.
C. The free bird laughs at the caged bird.
D. The free bird cannot sing as well as the caged bird.

7. What is this poem mainly about?

A. Freedom and slavery
B. The lives of birds
C. Joy and singing
D. The dreams of birds

8. Read lines 23 and 24 from the poem. “The free bird thinks of another breeze /
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees” - What is the effect of the
trees sighing in this verse?
A. It indicates that it is still early in the day.
B. It shows the tree is sleeping.
C. It indicates that the bird is carefree.
D. It shows where the bird sleeps

III Reference to context :-

1. “The free bird leaps
On the back of the wind
And floats downstream.”

(i) Explain these lines in your own words.

Ans. These lines show a bird leaping ‘on the back of the wind’ demonstrating the freedom it
experiences to move about and glide freely through the air. It hovers over a stream of wind
and floats downwards to where the current of the stream ends

(ii) How does the poet show the difference between the caged bird and the free bird?
Ans. The free bird leaping ‘on the back of the wind’ demonstrating the freedom it experience to
move about and glide freely through the air. . The caged bird is seen to be angry with its
situation. It desires with all its heart to escape its plight. But the caged bird cannot see beyond
his cage.
 (iii) How does the free bird dare to “claim the sky”?
Ans. The bird is shown in a state of great tranquillity. It has the freedom to move about wherever
it desires. It is so utterly free and without restraints that it ‘dares to claim the sky’. The whole
firmament is his one big home.

(iv) How is the caged bird different from the free bird?
Ans. Then poem describes the “bird that stalks his narrow cage”. The tone is immediately and
drastically changed from peaceful, satisfied, and joyful to one that is dark, unnerving, and
even frustrating. It describes that this caged first “can seldom see through his bars of rage”.
While the free bird gets to enjoy the full sky, the caged bird rarely even gets a glimpse of
the sky. She claims that “his wings are clipped and his feet are tied”

2. “The caged bird sings

With fearful trill
Of things unknown.”

(i) Describe the caged bird.

Ans. The caged bird has a wavering voice. He sings of freedom, something he does not have. The
idea of freedom is his dream, one he cannot achieve. So, he sings about it. There is fear in
his voice. He had never known what freedom tastes like, but hopes to have it for his own.
His voice can be heard from distant places, on hills where it inspires others to dream of
freedom. The caged bird doesn’t sing of sadness, but of hope, inspiration and of freedom.

(ii) The poet says that the caged bird “can seldom see through his bars of rage.” Why does
the poet refer to the cage as “bars of rage”?
Ans. The caged bird is angry with its situation of being in captivity. It desires with all its heart to
escape its plight. But the caged bird cannot see beyond his cage. The cage is narrow and its
metaphorical bars are of rage. The caged bird tries to go after his cage in vain.

(iii) Why can the caged bird’s song be heard on the distant hill?
Ans. The caged bird’s song is about inspiring others to dream of freedom. The caged bird can be
heard from distant places, on hills because it doesn’t sing of sadness, but of hope, inspiration
and of freedom.

(iv) What unknown things do you think the caged bird sings of?
Ans. The caged bird sings of freedom, something he does not have. The idea of freedom is his
dream, one he cannot achieve. He had never known what freedom tastes like, but hopes to
have it for his own. So, he sings about it.

IV Question and Answers:-

1. Mention two scenes that are “seen” by the caged bird.
Ans.

2. How are they different from the scenes “seen” by the free bird?
Ans.