Maya Angelou's poem, Caged Bird has as its central theme Freedom, Freedom as a universal right. The poem draws the metaphor of the Caged Bird from Lawrence Dunbar's Sympathy. The "Caged Bird" is an extended metaphor for two birds, the free bird and the caged bird. The poem deals with the theme of the oppression experienced by African Americans as slaves in the past. The poem is full of symbols, metaphors, personifications, allusions and various other poetic devices, including powerful imagery.
The first stanza starts with a positive tone, a feeling of exhilaration of ownership and excitement of the free bird while he rides the streams of wind exulting in his freedom. The image of the free bird dipping his wings into the "orange sun rays speaks of victory, joy, pride and a sense of daring as in, "dares to claim the sky." The words, "his wings" are a personification of the free bird.
The second stanza, however, is in contrast to the first. The use of the conjunction, "But" introduces a contrast. Unlike the free bird in the first stanza, the Caged Bird "stalks" furtively like an animal in the zoo trapped behind bars. Unlike the free bird, the caged bird has limited space to move about in. The caged bird lives behind not just the actual physical bars of the cage but also the metaphorical, "bars of rage". In this case, it is not just the metal bars of the cage that trap him, limit him, trap him, but also the emotion of "rage". His emotion of "rage" is so strong and overpowering that he is blinded by it, "seldom see through his bars of rage"! Since "his wings are clipped and feet are tied" the freedom he has is to sing. Nothing, not even the bars of his cage can prevent him from singing. Here, it is important to note that music or singing is not always an expression of joy or exultation, it is also an expression of anguish, pain and suffering.
The third stanza supports the second stanza as it continues to describe the caged bird, its song, emotions, and longing for "things unknown but longed for". The longing itself is paradoxical, because after all how can you long for something "unknown"? The Caged bird sings of "freedom", something it has never experienced before. The song can be heard "on the distant hill", the assonance of "i" as in "distant" and "hill" is to show from how far away from his song can be heard!
The fourth stanza, however, presents a contrast to the second and third stanzas. The tone of the second stanza is that of expectancy, hope. The free bird thinks of another breeze, an opportunity, he looks forward to a rich meal of "fat worms waiting" for him. The words "breeze, dawn-bright lawn, sky" are all associated with freedom, movement, energy and the dawn, the moment when the sun rises to greet a new day, a new morning, new opportunities that the caged bird can only dream of. The poet uses a personification in the words "sighing trees" as a contrast to the song of pain and suffering of the caged bird because these are sighs of happiness, pleasure, of waiting with pleasure for a sumptuous breakfast of "fat worms". And of course, unlike the caged bird, the free bird "names the sky his own", he is the master of all he surveys, carefree and without any worries, a king in his own right! The imagery created by the choice of words suggesting a rich breakfast in "fat worms", "dawn-bright lawn" and onomatopoeic words like "sighing" and "breeze" create a sense of freedom, surety of a full meal and the promise of a new day.
The fifth stanza starting with the conjunction, "But" stands as a contrast to the fourth. It presents the paradox of the caged bird buoyed by "the grave of dreams"! Somehow, the caged bird lives in a metaphorical "grave of dreams". There is a rather ethereal feel to the fifth stanza, the shadow and the nightmare belong to something that lacks a physical solidity and yet is palpable as an emotion. The fifth stanza personifies fear, despair and a feeling of hopelessness felt by the caged bird. The imagery is that of a graveyard from which vague, tenuous shadows emerge of spirits of tortured souls, from a collective nightmare of a people who have been oppressed. In this stanza like in the second stanza, the only way that the caged bird can express his angst, grief and pain is through singing. He can not fight back nor can he escape from the cage of slavery and oppression because "his wings are clipped and his feet are tied".
The sixth stanza is a repetition of the third stanza, somehow a paradox that he sings of "things unknown but longed for still" a feeling deep in his heart, of a rather elusive hope of freedom. There is deep in his heart a hope that one day he will be free. He, therefore, sings a song that is heard from far away, a song somehow sad yet sweet, of hope, long lost yet never abandoned. While others sing of joy, victory and success, the caged bird sings a hauntingly sad yet sweet song of grief and pain, a prayer for freedom. The caged bird sings of freedom of hope that might be muffled by grief and pain but is not defeated by any means!
One might argue that the poem is too heavy to read, too overwhelming in its sad tone and despair. One might even suggest that it is depressing to read, however that fact remains that the stanzas in the poem alternate between a feeling of hope and despair. Somehow there is a feeling of beauty in the song of the caged bird. The poem highlights the paradox of the free bird not valuing his freedom, he revels in the skims through the breeze, things ahead of the breakfast of fat worms. He is the proverbial early bird who gets the worm, but then does he really know the meaning of freedom better than the caged bird? Emily Dickinson's poem, Success is counted sweetest suggests that it is not the people celebrating victory on the battlefield who know the true meaning of victory. It is the person who belongs to the defeated army, lying hurt on the battlefield who knows the true meaning of victory. Emily Dickinson goes on to write, "To comprehend a nectar requires sorest need" suggesting that it is only the one who is thirsty who can appreciate the sweet taste of nectar in ordinary water. An important message that one might take from this poem is that one needs to value what one has and never take anything for granted.
The third stanza supports the second stanza as it continues to describe the caged bird, its song, emotions, and longing for "things unknown but longed for". The longing itself is paradoxical, because after all how can you long for something "unknown"? The Caged bird sings of "freedom", something it has never experienced before. The song can be heard "on the distant hill", the assonance of "i" as in "distant" and "hill" is to show from how far away from his song can be heard!
The fourth stanza, however, presents a contrast to the second and third stanzas. The tone of the second stanza is that of expectancy, hope. The free bird thinks of another breeze, an opportunity, he looks forward to a rich meal of "fat worms waiting" for him. The words "breeze, dawn-bright lawn, sky" are all associated with freedom, movement, energy and the dawn, the moment when the sun rises to greet a new day, a new morning, new opportunities that the caged bird can only dream of. The poet uses a personification in the words "sighing trees" as a contrast to the song of pain and suffering of the caged bird because these are sighs of happiness, pleasure, of waiting with pleasure for a sumptuous breakfast of "fat worms". And of course, unlike the caged bird, the free bird "names the sky his own", he is the master of all he surveys, carefree and without any worries, a king in his own right! The imagery created by the choice of words suggesting a rich breakfast in "fat worms", "dawn-bright lawn" and onomatopoeic words like "sighing" and "breeze" create a sense of freedom, surety of a full meal and the promise of a new day.
The fifth stanza starting with the conjunction, "But" stands as a contrast to the fourth. It presents the paradox of the caged bird buoyed by "the grave of dreams"! Somehow, the caged bird lives in a metaphorical "grave of dreams". There is a rather ethereal feel to the fifth stanza, the shadow and the nightmare belong to something that lacks a physical solidity and yet is palpable as an emotion. The fifth stanza personifies fear, despair and a feeling of hopelessness felt by the caged bird. The imagery is that of a graveyard from which vague, tenuous shadows emerge of spirits of tortured souls, from a collective nightmare of a people who have been oppressed. In this stanza like in the second stanza, the only way that the caged bird can express his angst, grief and pain is through singing. He can not fight back nor can he escape from the cage of slavery and oppression because "his wings are clipped and his feet are tied".
The sixth stanza is a repetition of the third stanza, somehow a paradox that he sings of "things unknown but longed for still" a feeling deep in his heart, of a rather elusive hope of freedom. There is deep in his heart a hope that one day he will be free. He, therefore, sings a song that is heard from far away, a song somehow sad yet sweet, of hope, long lost yet never abandoned. While others sing of joy, victory and success, the caged bird sings a hauntingly sad yet sweet song of grief and pain, a prayer for freedom. The caged bird sings of freedom of hope that might be muffled by grief and pain but is not defeated by any means!
One might argue that the poem is too heavy to read, too overwhelming in its sad tone and despair. One might even suggest that it is depressing to read, however that fact remains that the stanzas in the poem alternate between a feeling of hope and despair. Somehow there is a feeling of beauty in the song of the caged bird. The poem highlights the paradox of the free bird not valuing his freedom, he revels in the skims through the breeze, things ahead of the breakfast of fat worms. He is the proverbial early bird who gets the worm, but then does he really know the meaning of freedom better than the caged bird? Emily Dickinson's poem, Success is counted sweetest suggests that it is not the people celebrating victory on the battlefield who know the true meaning of victory. It is the person who belongs to the defeated army, lying hurt on the battlefield who knows the true meaning of victory. Emily Dickinson goes on to write, "To comprehend a nectar requires sorest need" suggesting that it is only the one who is thirsty who can appreciate the sweet taste of nectar in ordinary water. An important message that one might take from this poem is that one needs to value what one has and never take anything for granted.
Brilliant analysis. Thank you
ReplyDeleteWhat is the critical approach questions
ReplyDeleteThese questions would deal with the central theme of freedom and slavery, metaphors of freedom, slavery and then questions related to social, historical and cultural context of the poem.
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ReplyDeleteThey are brilliant critical remarks
ReplyDeleteGood analysis
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot
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