My favorite Poem
Caged Bird
By: Maya Angelou
*****
The poet wrote this poem to show that white people have more freedom than colored people.
" 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." ( lines 1-7)
In the beginning of the poem she says how the free bird claims the sky. Its like a white person claiming the world. When there was segregation, white people claimed the world since they believed they were superior than colored people. White people had more opportunities than colored people. This stanza shows the freedom of the bird. How this bird is able to live without any restrains.
"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." ( lines 8-14)
When the speaker said that the caged bird had clipped wings to me it meant that a colored person has no privileges compared to a white person. This bird being in a cage having his wings clipped and his feet tied shows that he can't live like the free bird can. His only escape is through his singing. This makes me think of how a black person is too scared at first to stand up because he knows the consequences,but finally he decides to stand up for his rights. Like Martin Luther King Jr. he stood up for black peoples rights and he knew that if did that then many white people would hate him. He didn't care though he knew what would make society better, what would make the world a better place. Exactly like Rosa Parks, she knew that if she didn't give up that seat to the white person then she would go to jail. She still decided to stay in that seat though. So with these decisions a Civil Rights Movement started and the world was changed for better.
" 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." ( lines 9-16)
The caged bird then sings about freedom just like a colored person thought about freedom when there was segregation. The only dream this poor fragile bird has is to be free. To live like the free bird and claim the sky,too. This is repeated again signifying that this is where the meaning of the poem lies. Even though segregation was abolished a while ago there is still racism happening during this time. People discriminate colored people giving white people the better jobs and income. The tone of the poem is hope and optimistic because even though the caged bird is tied up he still sings/dreams about freedom. This bird does not lose hope that someday he'll be free like the free bird. The mood of the poem is sadness since I feel sad that the caged bird does not have the same freedom as the free bird does. The whole poem is about colored people not having the same rights as white people. Colored people have barriers that cage them in while white people run free.
By: Maya Angelou
*****
The poet wrote this poem to show that white people have more freedom than colored people.
" 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." ( lines 1-7)
In the beginning of the poem she says how the free bird claims the sky. Its like a white person claiming the world. When there was segregation, white people claimed the world since they believed they were superior than colored people. White people had more opportunities than colored people. This stanza shows the freedom of the bird. How this bird is able to live without any restrains.
"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." ( lines 8-14)
When the speaker said that the caged bird had clipped wings to me it meant that a colored person has no privileges compared to a white person. This bird being in a cage having his wings clipped and his feet tied shows that he can't live like the free bird can. His only escape is through his singing. This makes me think of how a black person is too scared at first to stand up because he knows the consequences,but finally he decides to stand up for his rights. Like Martin Luther King Jr. he stood up for black peoples rights and he knew that if did that then many white people would hate him. He didn't care though he knew what would make society better, what would make the world a better place. Exactly like Rosa Parks, she knew that if she didn't give up that seat to the white person then she would go to jail. She still decided to stay in that seat though. So with these decisions a Civil Rights Movement started and the world was changed for better.
" 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." ( lines 9-16)
The caged bird then sings about freedom just like a colored person thought about freedom when there was segregation. The only dream this poor fragile bird has is to be free. To live like the free bird and claim the sky,too. This is repeated again signifying that this is where the meaning of the poem lies. Even though segregation was abolished a while ago there is still racism happening during this time. People discriminate colored people giving white people the better jobs and income. The tone of the poem is hope and optimistic because even though the caged bird is tied up he still sings/dreams about freedom. This bird does not lose hope that someday he'll be free like the free bird. The mood of the poem is sadness since I feel sad that the caged bird does not have the same freedom as the free bird does. The whole poem is about colored people not having the same rights as white people. Colored people have barriers that cage them in while white people run free.