ANALYSIS OF THE POEM CAGED BIRD

BY MAYA ANGELOU

INTRODUCTION
I have chosen the poem Caged Bird by Marguerite Annie Johnson also
known as Maya Angelou. Before I start describing my interpretation of
poem I would like to talk briefly about the poet since the poet is related to
her life. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri,
on April 4, 1928. She grew up in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. She was
an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and
screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. She
was best known for her autobiographical books: Mom & Me & Mom
(Random House, 2013); Letter to My Daughter (2008); All Gods Children
Need Traveling Shoes (1986); The Heart of a Woman (1981); Singin and
Swingin and Gettin Merry Like Christmas (1976); Gather Together in My
Name (1974); and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), which was
nominated for the National Book Award.

Among her volumes of poetry are A Brave and Startling Truth (Random
House, 1995); The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (1994);
Wouldnt Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993); Now Sheba Sings the
Song (1987); I Shall Not Be Moved (1990); Shaker, Why Dont You Sing?
(1983); Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well (1975); and Just Give Me
a Cool Drink of Water fore I Diiie (1971), which was nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize.

In 1959, at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Angelou became the
northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
From 1961 to 1962 she was associate editor of The Arab Observer in
Cairo, Egypt, the only English-language news weekly in the Middle East,
and from 1964 to 1966 she was feature editor of the African Review in
Accra, Ghana. She returned to the United States in 1974 and was
appointed by Gerald Ford to the Bicentennial Commission and later by
Jimmy Carter to the Commission for International Woman of the Year. She
accepted a lifetime appointment in 1982 as Reynolds Professor of
American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North

Carolina. In 1993, Angelou wrote and delivered a poem, On The Pulse of

the Morning," at the inauguration for President Bill Clinton at his request.
In 2000, she received the National Medal of Arts, and in 2010 she was
awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

The first black woman director in Hollywood, Angelou wrote, produced,

directed, and starred in productions for stage, film, and television. In
1971, she wrote the original screenplay and musical score for the film
Georgia, Georgia, and was both author and executive producer of a fivepart television miniseries Three Way Choice. She also wrote and
produced several prize-winning documentaries, including Afro-Americans
in the Arts," a PBS special for which she received the Golden Eagle Award.
Angelou was twice nominated for a Tony award for acting: once for her
Broadway debut in Look Away (1973), and again for her performance in
Roots (1977).

Angelou died on May 28, 2014, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where

she had served as Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest
University since 1982. She was eighty-six.

While the synopsis for the poem is shows the racism, discrimination and
pain and suffering amog black people. They hace to sacrifice and struggle
to live with white people. White people treated them like 2nd class people.

RESPONSE TO THE POEM

1ST STANZA

A 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.

Throughout history, there has been segregation between various races.

Barriers between blacks and whites have existed for hundreds of years.
During an era of white supremacy, the lives of African-American's were
characterized by discrimination and limited opportunities. This was a
period of African-American inferiority; which forced them to endure many
inequities and injustices. This discrimination is a result of the tradition of
whites. Blacks were forced to be servile and submissive due to these
customs that were deeply ingrained in a prejudiced society. The only way
for African-Americans to earn respect was for them to have a voice and
stand up for their rights. Maya Angelou encouraged those of her ethnicity
to do this in her poem Caged Bird.

This poem is an extended metaphor. Although the speaker doesn't

mention any races, it is clear that she is showing how the freedoms
allotted whites are diametrically opposed to those given to the blacks. In
the first stanza, the speaker illustrates how the free bird, or white race, is
untroubled. It also shows how the white race has the audacity to own and
govern society unjustly. The speaker concludes'' (the free bird) dares to
claim the sky". This shows how whites demonstrated discrimination and
prejudice toward blacks. Unfortunately, this deplorable conduct was
condoned in society.

2nd 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.

In the second stanza, the speaker describes the actions of the caged bird,
or African-Americans. The speaker says," But a caged bird that stalks
down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage". This is an
illustration of the anger and frustration blacks were forced to endure. They
were mistreated because they were different and thought of as inferior. In
line 1 and 2, the speaker says, The free bird leaps on the back of the
wind,. The speaker is conveying that whites believed they were
superior over other races due to the prejudiced traditions in a segregated
America. In the end, African-Americans knew it was necessary to stand up
for their long-deserved freedom. A pattern of rhyme is also established to
give this stanza an upbeat rhythm to emphasize the enraged attitude of
the blacks. The speaker says, " His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing". This highlights the disadvantages African-

American's had to endure due to the color of their skin. It also shows that
blacks yearned for equality so they stood up for their freedom.

3rd 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.

In stanza three, the speaker says, "The free bird thinks of another
breeze... And the fat worms waiting on the dawn bright lawn". The breeze
and fat worms are metaphors for all the hopes and opportunities that the
whites had that the blacks didn't have. The speaker also uses auditory
devices of alliteration and assonance to give the poem a continuous flow.

4th 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 fourth stanza is about the free bird again , and how the bird although
free thinks of another breeze showing that although the bird is free , the
bird is not content and is greedy to have even more freedom, but again it
is shown to be lazy in that is unsatisfied with the stream of wind that it is
on but not enough to do something about it. The stanza then describes
how easy things seem to come to the free bird, as there are worms
waiting for it at dawn on the lawn

5th 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 fifth stanza depicts the bird in its cage, the cage that has now become
the grave of the birds dreams, and once again the caged bird sings of
freedom,

6th 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.

The final stanza is a repetition of stanza three which serves as an

emphasis on the caged bird. the birds song is to be feared and respected..

REACTION TO THE POEM

Next part of my thesis is I am going to give react to this poem and provide
reflection on this poem. After reading this poem I began to understand the
pain and suffering the black people after years of cruel and torture. I feel
really sad that people are judged based on their skin colour and there are
considered inferior. The colour of skin acts as a barrier for the black race,
it prevents freedom for a poem . Black people are unware of the freedom
and frrling to be a white person. Here , Mayas belief for freedom and
equality is beginning to spread among black race. She sings for freedom.
Black people are unware of the freedom and feeling to be a white person.
According to Nelson Mandela "No one is born hating another person
because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People
must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to
love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."
Barriers have existed between the races and the division between blacks
and whites has been the longest. How the blacks got incurred slavery was
an enigma and the question to why racism and the question to why do
racism and discrimination existed has still been unanswered. The movie
shows that the blacks slowly sang for freedom through murtiple actions
like Civil Rights Movement, actions of Martin Luther King Jr and the trials of
Brown vs The Board. The black inferiority and white supremacy has
transformed into a sort of tradition and it is still ongoing. The blacks have
been discriminated for more than three hundred years but the lacks are
slowly breaking the chains of slavery and the dominance of white people.

According to Eric wolf. In its modern form, racism evolved in tandem with
European exploration and conquest of much of the rest of the world, and
especially after Christopher Columbus reached the Americas. As new
peoples were encountered, fought, and ultimately subdued, theories
about race began to develop, and these helped many to justify the
differences in position and treatment of people whom they categorized as
belonging to different races ( Eric Wolfs,1982, Europe and the People
Without History).
Through time and history white people people has gained more
opportunities and has been give hopes but the blacks are given nothing.
This situation was acceptable and has been given hopes but the blacks
are given nothing. This situation was acceptable since the olden days.
Tradition has caused the black people to not achieve their dreams in life or
even gaining success. If two equally qualified, skillfull and talented white
person and a black person existed, who would succeed more in life? This
poem infers that a white person would have the wall of fame but the
blacks are caged cause their colour. Oppurtunities keep finding way to the
whites because whereas the same is fakse for blacks. According to Harper
Lee. As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day
of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is,
how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.( Harper
Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird)

REFLECTING OF THE POEM

RELATING OF THE POEM

The poem caged bird can be relate to the current issue that is occurring in
this modern era. This issue I am going to discuss in discrimination. Racial
discrimination happened in Australia. In 1987, a sensational discovery
was made by a Sydney University team, led by Australias most
celebrated pre-historian, Professor D J Mulvaney. They reported that the
Australian population in 1788 was 750,000, or three times the previous
estimate. They concluded that more than 600,000 people had died as
result of white settlement. In June 1998, One Nation, an Australian
nationalist party in Queensland won 25 percent of the votes with their

main lines at fighting immigration by non-whites. This was made possible

where unemployment was been high and where it was easy to convince
the people that immigrants were taking their jobs, as it would serve to be
a convenient excuse and avenue to vent frustration. In a speech the party
leader said that Australia was in danger of being swamped by Asians
and she also questioned the special welfare benefits for Australias
Aborigines. The reaction to that meant the same party won only 6 percent
of the votes two months later, in the State elections.
Australia has also had a very racist past in which apartheid has been
practiced and where indigenous Aboriginal people have lost almost all
their land and suffered many prejudices. In the past, the notorious policy
that led to the Stolen Generation was practiced. This was the
institutionalized attempt to prevent Aboriginal children (and thus future
generations) from being socialized into Aboriginal culture. (This also
occurred in various parts of the Americas too.)
Aborigines are the poorest group in Australia and suffer from very much
preventable diseases. For more about these issues, you can start at these
harrowing reports from John Pilger a prominent Australian journalist who
has been critical of many western policies.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics also brought some of Australias racist past
and present to the fore. (On the positive side, many parts of Australias
rich diversity in people is slowly helping relieve prejudism. However, some
more traditional and conservative politicians are still openly racist.)
In 2008, a study found that Australians in general are welcoming of
diversity but some 1 in 10 Australians still hold racist views a ratio likely
to be less than in some European countries, but still high the lead
researcher noted. Muslims were most feared or loathed for not
belonging, and followed by indigenous Australians and Africans.
In 2009 and 2010, there were increasing racist attacks against Indians
with many Indians in Melbourne fearing racist attacks and lynchings were
increasing. It even led to the Indian government issuing an advisory
warning about the dangers of traveling to Melbourne.
(John Pilger, Cathy Freemans broad Olympic smile is being used to
conceal a multitude of Australias original sins, July 10, 2000)

Beside another cases in Africa more in colonial and imperialism. A number

of nations in Africa are at war or civil war, or have been very recently, just

few years after they have gained their independence from former colonial
countries.
While most of the conflicts have resources at their core and involve a
number of non-African nations and corporations, additional fuel is added
to the conflict by stirring up ethnic differences and enticing hatred. (Also
not that the artificial boundaries imposed in Africa by European
colonialism and imperialism during the divide and rule policies has further
exacerbated this situation and plays an enormous role in the root causes
of these conflicts compared to what mainstream media presents.)
In Zimbabwe, there has been increasing racism against the white farmers,
due to poverty and lack of land ownership by Africans.
South Africa until recently suffered from Apartheid, which legally
segregated the African population from the Europeans.

In Cambodia, there has been a strong anti-Vietnamese sentiment.

In Indonesia there has been a lot of violence against the affluent Chinese
population who have been blamed for economic problems that have
plagued the country in recent years.
As noted by Wikipedia in an article on racism, until 2003, Malaysia
enforced discriminatory laws limiting access to university education for
Chinese students who are citizens by birth of Malaysia, and many other
laws explicitly favoring bumiputras (Malays) remain in force.
In India, there has long been discrimination against what is considered the
lowest class in Hinduism, the Dalits, or untouchables, as well as sectarian
and religious violence. Although it has been outlawed by the Indian
Constitution, the caste system was a way to structure inequality into the
system itself. And while outlawed, the social barriers it creates is still
prevalent in rural areas where most Indians live. It also features in the
view of Hindu extremists and traditionalists.
At various times, there have also been tensions between different
religious groups, such as Hindus and Muslims with both sides having their
fair share of extremists. While this is not racism, technically as people
of all classes are of the same race the prejudice that had come with the
caste system is quite similar to what is seen with racism.

[Elements of anti-Obama opposition] include ultra-conservative

Republicans of both the Pat Buchanan and free market variety; anti-tax
Tea Party libertarians from the Ron Paul camp; Christian right activists
intent on re-molding the country into their kind of Kingdom; birth
certificate conspiracy theorists, anti-immigrant nativists of the armed
Minuteman and the policy wonk variety; third party constitutionalists;
and white nationalists of both the citizens councils and the Stormfront
national socialist variety.
(Bill Berkowitz, US: White Supremacists Crash Anti-Obama Tea Party, Inter
Press Service, December 22, 2009)

CONCLUSION

In this project paper, I have discussed about a few theme that involved on
this poem. The three main themes is racist, discrimination and pain and
suffering. This poem is very related the current issue what happened in
the world nowadays. Eventhough , the poem Cage Bird by Maya Angelou
gives a lot of inspiration to the black people and who were having a
racism issue to stand up to be free from this. Peopel should not be judged
others by only skin colour, language and where they come from.
Everybody should be given a chance in her life to prove their worth and
achieve their life dreams. World war will be never at peace unless
everybody is treated fairly justice is upheld.