“I know why the caged bird sings” Essay Example for Free

I have a go at it why the caged biddy sings EssayAfter a childhood full of cruelties, disappointments, and being raped at the hands of her yields boyfriend, Maya Angelou survived and became the most important civil, human, and Womens Rights Activist. After her rape she was silent for 5 years, and only with the encouragement of her grandmother did she start to write and act. Her writings won her world acclaim and she was nominated for the case Book Award, a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize. She is indisputably one of the most influential women in history. Her verse form I know why the caged chick sings shows her grace and attainment as a poet, and a humanitarian.I know why the caged chick sings is a six stanza poem. The poem has a really traditional structure. The first 2 stanzas are triplets, followed by a quatrain, then some other triplet, and ends with a quatrain. It has a very simple alone effective rhyme scheme. The triplet stanza has a AAB rhyme, and the quatrai n stanzas have a AAAB rhyme. This poem is lyrical and intense. The themes presented in this poem are of a plaindom and triumph over adversity (Arensberg 273). In stanza one Angelou describes how sniggers in the wonderful have unbound freedom.She writes leaps on the cover of the wind dips his wings in the orange sunrays, (lines 1-3) ab stunned the free birds activities. Her words affect the senses, and the reader feels the freedom the birds experience in f light-headed. She brings nature and the outdoor elements to life and the consultation is right at that place at play with the birds. Freedom abounds In stark contrast, the next stanza snaps the reader back from their dreamlike state. There are a series of very strong words that create a feeling of depression, and claustrophobia. Angelou explains the life of a caged bird.narrow cage, bars of rage, and wings clipped. (lines 3-6) These phrases create a sense of arrest and imprisonment. This evokes sympathy for the bird, and thou ghts about if we were also imprisoned (Arensberg 280). The reader begins to think what is life unfair and, why that bird? and further, why me? But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams, (line 14) the poem continues and yet the bird unchanging sings. Angelou comments The caged bird still sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still (lines 17-18) about the bird who displays the only freedom he has at present, his voice.Pierre Walker, in his 1995 article, comments that the bird still dreams, and he has the function to deluge and make the best of his situation. There is a single focus for Angelou intention of alliteration in this poem. She uses the s sound over and over again his shadow shouts on a nightmare cry (line 15). The s sound creates the feeling of wind, the whispering of tree leaves, the bird is scared but he sings because he can. He cannot fight his nature. He will find freedom anyway he can, and for that bird it is his singing.The use of the rhyme scheme in the quatrain portion of the poem is AAAB. The inflexibility of the first three lines in stanza 3 thrillhillshrill create the perfect path to the true theme of this poem. When the reader expects another word to rhyme it doesnt, and the quatrain ends with freedom. The same is true for the last stanza, which is a repeat of the first. Liliane Arensberg explains that the rhyme reminds the reader that there is eternally hope, there is always the will to survive and the promise at the end of the tunnel of light (Arensberg 289) of freedom.I know why the cage bird sings by Maya Angelou is a very popular poem. umpteen people find inspiration in her words, and find solace in the hope and determination that bird has. If he can sing, so can the reader. If he can survive so can you. We cannot always choose our lot in life, but we can make the best of it. We can reflect, find out talents, and give those to the world. Maya Angelou presents a very important message to the reader in the form of a very lyrical almost song like poem by using strong imagery of a bird and its cage, the pursuit of freedom as a theme, a strong rhyme scheme, and alliteration.Angelou skill as an author cannot easily be missed and neither can her message that we must overcome misfortune and strife to become what we were always meant to be.Works Cited Angelou, Maya. The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. 1st ed. New York hit-or-miss House, 1994. 101. Arensberg, Liliane K. Death as Metaphor of Self in I make love Why the Caged Bird Sings. College phraseology Association Journal 20 (1976) 273-91. Walker, Pierre A. Racial protest, identity, words and form in Maya Angelous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. . College Literature 1 Oct 1995. 23 Nov 2005 http//www. highbeam. com/.