Caged Bird Questions and Answers
QUESTION 1: Examine the lives of a free bird and a caged bird as explained in the poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou.
In the first stanza, Maya describes the life of a free bird succinctly with the appropriate choice of words that express the freedom and how happy a free bird is.
Words like “leaps, floats, dips, claim” are carefully used to describe a free bird; how happy and joyful the bird is.
“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.”
The second and the third stanzas are dedicated to the description of the life of a caged bird which symbolizes imprisonment and isolation. Some words are also used here aptly to describe the life of a caged bird.
Words like, “stalks, cage, bars, rage, clipped, tied, fearful trill, unknown, freedom.” These words describe the agonizing condition of a caged bird and the song for freedom.
“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 poet is able to prove the fact that there is joy in freedom and that imprisonment or isolation is in-human. A free bird enjoys total freedom as it jumps from one place to the other unhindered and flies freely in the sky with joy.
She also expatiates further on isolation with a caged bird that is kept in a cage with its leg tied and the wings fastened, the bird hardly sees beyond the cage.
The irony here is that the free bird does not sing, it is the caged bird that sings. The poet is trying to educate us that freedom is a natural phenomenon that cannot be rightly taken away from somebody because the caged bird is still able to cry for freedom through song.
It sings of things unknown because it doesn’t know what could befall it at any time.
“so he opens his throat to sing.”
In stanza three, the poet expresses the unhappiness of the caged bird despite the song. The bird is pessimistic of possible eventualities; hence the cry is heard in a far distance of freedom.
“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 poet explains further the optimism of a free bird thinking of another flight in the air and jumping from tree to tree and the sumptuous meal of “fat worm” waiting for it.
“The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the signing
trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright
lawn
and he names the sky his own.”
The poet also expresses the possible danger awaiting the caged bird and that is why the caged bird sings of freedom from the cage, its wing is “clipped” and the feet “tied.”
“But a caged bird stand 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 last stanza is the repetition of the third stanza. It is just for emphasis and to call the attention of the readers to the experience of a caged bird.
QUESTION 2: Identify the advantages a free bird has over a caged bird as featured in “Caged Bird.”
Maya Angelou in her poem compares the lives of a free bird and a caged bird; the advantages of a free bird are clearly identified.
The first advantage is freedom; a free bird is free to fly about as it likes; this also makes a free bird happy. It flies about and displays as it likes.
Words like “leaps, floats, dips, claim” are carefully used to describe a free bird; how happy and joyful the bird is.
“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.”
While the life of a caged bird is miserable; it is not free to fly about like a free bird; it is restricted and “imprisoned” in a cage.
A free bird enjoys total freedom as it jumps from one place to the other unhindered and flies freely in the sky with joy.
She also expatiates further in isolation with a caged bird that is kept in a cage with its leg tied and the wings fastened, the bird hardly sees beyond the cage; it lives a monotonous and bored life.
The poet explains further the optimism of a free bird thinking of another flight in the air and jumping from tree to tree and the sumptuous meal of “fat worm” waiting for it. Since it is free to fly at any time as it wishes looking for food.
It also takes the sky as its own, since it can fly about in the sky as it likes. The major preoccupation of a caged bird is how to get itself freed; songs of freedom are heard from a caged bird.
While a caged bird as it’s legs tied and the wings clipped, a free bird is in total freedom to exercise its body.
“The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the signing
trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright
lawn
and he names the sky his own.”
Question 3: What are the themes of Maya Angelou’s Caged Bird.”?
These are the themes of Maya Angelou’s Caged bird:
Freedom: This is seen in the first stanza where the life of a free bird is described. The bird is full of life and happy as it flies about from one place to another.
Isolation: This is also explained in the second stanza. The caged bird is isolated with its leg tied and the wing clipped. It hardly sees beyond the cage hence, it cries for freedom.
Agony: The caged bird is in agony, it is not convenient in the cage with the tied leg and the clipped wings. As we all know that a bird is lively when it is free to fly about. Though the bird sings, the song is agonizing; crying for freedom.
Optimism: The free bird in this poem is still thinking of better days ahead. This is seen in the fourth stanza where it is optimistic of another interesting flight, fat worms to feed on. This makes the bird happier.
Pessimism: The caged bird is pessimistic because it is in danger of any possible occurrence. That is why it sings for freedom and the song is heard in a distant place.
Question 4: Examine the diction of Maya Angelou’s Caged Bird.”
The use of diction in a poem refers to the figures of speech and the poetic devices used in the poem used in expressing the mind of the poet.
In the first stanza, Maya describes the life of a free bird succinctly with the appropriate choice of words that express the freedom and how happy a free bird is. Words like “leaps, floats, dips, claim” are carefully used to describe a free bird; how happy and joyful the bird is.
“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.”
Personification is used in the poem for better understanding of the messages of the poem; it’s in lines 2 and 28.
There is the use of alliteration in the poem to create sound effects. There is alliteration in lines 10, 14, 19, 23, 24, 30.
The agonies of a caged bird are described with the use of irony. A free bird is expected to sing, but the reverse is the case; it’s a caged bird that is engaged in songs of sorrow: singing of freedom.
The poet makes use of the irony here to tell us that freedom is a natural phenomenon that people should enjoy, that no matter what, somebody’s freedom cannot be totally taken away from him or her. The bird’s leg is tied and the wings clipped, but the voice is not taken away.
The poet also uses repetition in the poem. The third stanza is repeated in the last stanza. This is to lay emphasis and call the attention of the readers to the agonizing experiences of the caged bird and to educate us that freedom is pleasurable while isolation is in-human.
Question 5: Identify the poetic devices used in “Caged Bird.”
These are the poetic devices in the poem.:
Personification: This is in line 2, “on the back of the wind”
Line 28, “his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream”
Alliteration: There is alliteration in lines, 10, 14, 19, 23, 24, 30.
Irony: Under normal circumstances, it is the free bird that is supposed to be singing, but the reverse is the case here; it is the caged bird that is singing.
The poet makes use of the irony here to tell us that freedom is a natural phenomenon that people should enjoy, that no matter what, somebody’s freedom cannot be totally taken away from him or her.
The bird’s leg is tied and the wings clipped, but the voice is not taken away.
Repetition: The third stanza is repeated in the last stanza of the poem. This is to lay emphasis and call the attention of the readers to the agonizing experiences of the caged bird and to educate us that freedom is pleasurable while isolation is in-human.
Enjambment (Run-on-line): This occurs in a poem when the sense expressed in a line of a poem is not complete in that line and has to be completed in the next lines.
There is always no definite pause at the end of such lines, the lines run to each-other. This is used extensively in this poem.