Poem- "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou

[Ms. Knarr]

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou



A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.



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.



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 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

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 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.

[rosemariefreschi]

1. I think the overall meaning of this poem is that we have so much opportunity ahead of us but not everybody does. In our world today many people are caged in due to oppression, poverty, or frankly just a lack of freedom. We are taught from a little age that we should take every opportunity that we can get and to never stop reaching for our dreams. It is considered normal to attend high school and college and then to get a job in which we are able to support a family with. Not everybody is that lucky. All around us are people are suffering because they don’t have that freedom. They are caged birds that rarely every attend high school and forget about college. They can’t even dream of things we fell are considered normal such as getting a car when we get our license and yet they know it’s out there and they want it. These people, however, can’t do anything about their situations except cry out for our help which is the bird singing.
2. I have enjoyed Maya Angelou’s poems for years and this one was no except. All her poems bring about emotions within me especially this one. When reading it I felt angry, guilty, and sorry. I am angry that there are people trapped in a world that they don’t want to be in. They are trying to stay alive but it’s just so difficult. I also feel guilty. I consider myself to be the free bird gliding through the air with the entire sky in front of me and like the free bird I am away of those that are caged but cannot truly hear them. I wish that in this world we could free all those that are caged and allow them to experience the same freedom and wonders that we do. It is this that makes me sad that I can enjoy myself and while they sing for our attention so that we may notice their agony and pain.
3. Question 1: What do you think are some of the cages that exist in our world today?
Question 2: Do you think that Maya Angelou saying that the free bird tries to claim the sky is a way of saying that we are greedy?
Question 3: Do you think that the anger the caged bird is feeling is from not being heard or from being trapped or from both?
Question 4: Is the fact that bird sings (rather than scream) for freedom important?

[stephhsieh]

1. I agree and also disagree with Roe. I agree with her concept of saying that some people are caged due to oppression, poverty and other things, and people like Americans have more freedom than those and are taught to strive for our dreams, even if it seems impossible. We are taught to take falls and take every chance we get. But some people don't get that chance. But I disagree with Roe because I believe when Angelou says, "but longed for still, and his tune is heard" that it means those in help call for us, those that can help, and wait and wait to be heard. But we're so caught up with our freedom, we don't hear them and then we don't help them.

2. I agree with Roe here. I really enjoyed this poem as well. Her poem really did carry a lot of emotion and meaning behind it. I also liked it because it was easy to understand and she is very clear about her idea of the world and its clearly identified in her writing. I really liked this poem because it carried so many emotions. I felt angry, and sad, and guilty as well. Not only do I feel like a free bird, but the whole U.S, and how we aren't doing our everything to protect and save those caged birds.

3. (answering Q2) I do believe that Angelou is saying that the free bird are trying to claim the save of its own and is interpreted as greediness. I believe so because if we weren't so greedy and so caught up with out "sky" we would be able to hear the caged birds sing an help them

(my question) Why do you thins Maye Angelou wrote about birds? why chose birds?

[morganclyne]

1. I believe that the overall meaning of this poem is to show us what it is truly like to be held back in life. Angelou is trying to express how at this time there weren't equal opportunities for everyone. I feel the poem was showing how since not everyone was a "free bird", the ones who were "caged" had to fight against this and try to speak out for themselves "caged bird sings", "sings for freedom". I also feel the poem shows that no one is completely free.
2.In reaction to the piece, I did enjoy it. I felt that this poem may have been intended for the African American people at the time, but i feel that it is easily relatable to all ethnic groups. This poem gives you tons of emotion while reading it and it also shows you how truly lucky you are to have the liberties and rights we do have as Americans. This poem shows you how rough some people have had it.
3.In response to Steph's question, I believe that Maya Angelou wrote about birds for a very specific reason. I feel that birds were chosen for this poem because birds do show a sense of freedom. Birds are able to fly around and do things with out rules or boundaries. The birds are very symbolic to this piece. Finally, my question would be do you think Maya Angelou wrote this poem for a specific ethnic group or one for all people to relate to?

[dougrybczynski]

1. The meaning of this poem was clear- that a person who is 'caged' can only wish for freedom while the free person who has it is happy and never held back. I think on a deeper level this can also show that if the birds represented a group of people, whether it be a religion, race or otherwise can not always do something about their 'caged' peers.

2. I really enjoyed this piece. It got its point across in a very wise way, almost sounding like a prophecy instead of a story. The lesson that is to be learned from it is a good one as well, having a real relation to life.

3. (Morgan's Question) I believe that this pertains to anyone today. There is still injustice in our world, while sometimes on a smaller level than what we hear about in history. Although it is a smaller scale, that does not make it right by any means.

[mattstyczynski]

1. The meaning I got from this poem is that even today, people still do not have freedom. The "bird" in this poem is locked in a cage as well as having its wings clipped. This oppression of the "bird" showed me that the its true freedom was not yet granted. However in the poem when it said the "bird" sings a song of freedom that can be heard. I think this was a metaphor to show how even though people are restricted of their freedom, their cries for help can still be heard.

2. After reading this poem I became more thankful for the freedom I have. In society today thee are some unfortunate people who do not have freedom. Freedom may seem so basic to us who live in America, but to those who do not have it, it means the world to them. I know now that I should not take my freedom for granted because there are those in the world who fight for it everyday to no avail. Overall I thought this was a very inspiration poem that put the world in perspective for me.

3. (question 1) The cages that I still think exist today are the government's of China and Cuba. These governments oppress their citizens of any personal freedom they may desire, with strict penalties. I believe these two are examples of how "cages" still exist today just by how they restrict the freedom of billions. (my question) Do you think that the "Bird's" song for freedom is not heard or just not answered?

[bradoconnor]

1)I agree with Doug in saying that a caged bird sings for freedom and represents a certain race, religion, or other group that was or currently is being oppressed. I also think that free people take their freedom for granted and that we must be grateful that we were born with our freedom because their are people in this world that are not and will never be free.

2) This poem as Matt had previously said, had made me think about how some people have got to fight for their freedom, even though I was born free. After reading this, I became extremely grateful for my freedom. This poem was also written to perfection by Maya Angelou. I especially like the Caged Bird analogy that she uses in her writing and I think that it is a great way to get her point about freedom across.

Answering Roe's first question, I believe that their are many cages in our world today, not only slavery in distant culture's and countries but "cages" that we put on ourselves. Such cages limit us on how we act based on how people will judge us and whether we will be ridiculed.

My Question, Since the free bird does not answer the caged birds plee,does the free bird represent oppressors or just anbody who is free?

[adamzaha]

1. I believe this poem is very strong and meaningful for people even today. It means that if you are bound by something or someone you will most likely not go far or as far as you have hoped. I think it sends out a message that if you are dreaming about something that is unattainable you should try your best in order to try to make it possible. Also, it means that even though some people may have a seemingly easier life then yours you should not be angry at them or be jealous of what you don't have. A literary device used in this poem is end rhyme.

2. I like this poem because I think this poem could have many various meanings. I can relate to this poem because there are sometimes I feel like I am limited by things I can't control, but that doesn't stop me from trying to do what what others do. It makes me feel that there are some people that don't fight for what they want, and afterwards they feel sorry for themselves after they don't get what they want .

3. Matt's question- I think the Bird's song is just not answered because the owner thinks this is what is best for the bird.
My question- Do you think the caged bird has a choice or is at the mercy of his owner? Can he do anything about it?

[martinwawszkowicz]

1. I agree with everybody above.The message of this poem is speaking of the freedom that people deserve to have. Even though the bird is caged, it will always sing to be free. As do people that are oppressed in some way, speak out against this oppression in order to finally become free. One bird can be heard by all, and as people we should always speak out in order to be heard by others.

2. This was probably one of my favorite poems that I was able to read. Freedom is key in our society today, and we all deserve to be treated equally. Until the caged bird starts singing, nobody will know that it wants to be free or the situation that it is in. As a community we can all sing to get our problems out there in order to be solved.

3. In response to Adam's question, I believe that the caged bird does what he wants to do. Even though he is scared to sing, he sings strong in order to be heard. This is all done in the quest for freedom.

My Question: Do you think that the owner of the bird ever punished the bird for singing?

[alexmaravic]

1. I think that the poem is mainly about slavery because Maya's ancestors were slaves. I think the bird is a symbol for the slaves. Slaves were bound and trapped on the plantations which were represented by the cages in the poem. The slaves weren't allowed to really do anything, and used song as a way of expressing themselves. I think that it also could be more general about people who feel trapped and can't escape. I also think that the trees and the worms represent how the slaves could basically were taunted everyday by the temptation of the outside world but they couldn't escape in fear that they would be punished violently or even killed.

2. I like this poem because although it's sad, I think it's well written and easy to read. It's inspiring because I think it gives the reader hope that things will get better despite how bad they may seem at the moment. The song the bird sings is a symbol for the hope for freedom that the slaves felt. This poem made me appreciate the fact that I have freedom and that I shouldn't take things like that for granted.

3. (Answering Adam's question) I think that the bird is caged by bad luck, not by choice. It is definitely at the mercy of its owner. With its wings tied and clipped, there's no way it could even escape.
Question: Even though the bird is caged, why do you think it continues to song?

[deannazaha]

1. I believe that Maya Angelou is making a metaphor about slavery. With that being said I completely agree with the other interpretations of this poem. Angelou’s is simply saying that a free man has the freedom to do anything. A white American man has the ability to go out and do as he pleases, to work as he pleases, and to just about do anything. A slave, trapped by the cruelty of his slave owners, cannot go anywhere but his plantation. He chooses so sing songs of sadness and of hope; hope that one day his descendents will be free from the binding of slavery. The free man, when thinking of freedom, thinks of just about anything he has a right to. Meanwhile when a slave imagines freedom he thinks of the unfulfilled dreams and the true reality of where he is. He continues to sing for hope for the future. In general this poem may refer to, as Doug said, any group that is being oppressed. All they can do is hope for a better future.

2. I really liked reading this poem as it does have a very powerful message. I feel that Angelou was trying to explain the pain of slavery and the true cruelty about it. I liked how she was able to come up with such a perfect metaphor in such a great poem. "Caged Bird" very nicely depicts for us what slavery was like by using birds. Slaves were stripped of their rights, as a caged bird's wings were clipped and feet were tied. A free bird was able to experience the beauties of the world while the cage bird simply sang for about a better life.

3. Answering Brad’s question, I believe that maybe the free bird didn't hear the caged bird's plea. Therefore it would represent all free men. I truly believe that although many knew about slavery, some didn't know of how truly bad it was. And if we said that in fact the free bird did not hear the songs of the caged bird, it would also represent all free people. Those that knew of slavery did not always choose to do something about it, but rather continued living life normally. My question: What is meant by the line "his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream"?

[Katie Mustillo]

1. I agree with everyone pretty much on the overall meaning. This poem is talking about slavery and the bird is the slave and the cage is where he's being held. White people have the freedom to do whatever they want and whenever they want. They had no limits, but Blacks did. Blacks could not see beyond their plantation and they couldn't see what else was out there and life beyond it. "His wings are clipped" means that their freedom was taken away and they have nothing and "feet are tied" means the chains around their feet so they can't go anywhere. A bird's freedom is it's ability to fly and to fly away when they don't want to be in a certain place or to run, but when that's taken away- they have nothing. All he can do now is sing and long for his freedom and hope for it to come. People are calling for help, but we have so much that we don't always hear it. We are always taught to do everything we can and to never give up, but some people don't have those opportunities.
2. This was probably one of my favorite pieces that I read. It had a great message that wasn't too hard to grasp. The meaning was easy to understand and figure out, too. It stirred up emotions in me like happiness and sadness. It made you really think and appreciate what you have, but at the same time it makes you feel sad and guilty because they're are people who need help, but you can't always help them. It makes you really feel grateful and want to help others while learning a little history. This was a very enjoyable poem.
3. Answering Roe's Q1: Some of the cages in our world today would probably be dictatorships, terrorism, genocide, poverty, discrimination, and all the wrongs of the world. These people are caught in cages and they aren't able to leave. They're treated terribly and there's only so much people can do to help them. These limit people's freedom and they don't let them spread their wings and let them do what they want. Poverty limits people in living like a human being. All these cages do so much to people.
My Question: Do you think Angelou is talking about a specific person/group of people in her poem that are keeping people (birds) "caged?"