caged bird

• Poem "Caged Bird"

  • 38 lines
  • 6 stanzas
  • Enjambment evident
  • Chorus/refrain present
  • Rhyme schemes (end rhyme, internal rhyme)
• Enjambment

  A line that ends without being punctuated, without completing a sentence or clause
• Refrain

  A section of the poem that is repeated
• End rhyme

  The last word in a line rhymes with the last word in the next line
• Internal rhyme

  Rhyming words are placed in the same line or in the middle of each line that follows after each other
• Tone

  Changes between stanzas, switching between positive and negative
• Diction

  Word choice changes between stanzas, switching between harsh/strong words and gentle words
• Title "Caged Bird"

  Indicates restrictions, bird represents freedom
• Personification

  • Dips his wing
  • Dares to claim the sky
  • Opens his throat to sing
• Free bird

  Represents privileged white American society/community
• Caged bird

  Represents underprivileged black American communities
• Free bird

  Has freedom to fly anywhere with no restrictions
• Caged bird

  Has restricted movements, unable to see beyond the cage, only able to sing of freedom
• Free bird

  Represents opportunities and privileges enjoyed by white Americans
• Caged bird

  Represents oppression, lack of rights and opportunities faced by African Americans
• The poem portrays the racial segregation and injustice that existed against African Americans in the past
• The free bird represents the privileges that white Americans enjoyed, while the caged bird represents the enslaved and restricted African Americans
• The poem uses metaphors of birds to depict the inequality and lack of justice seen in society during the poet's life
• The poem effectively contrasts the freedom and opportunities of the white Americans with the oppression and lack of rights of the African Americans
• comment on the poet's use of verbs in stanza 1: how do they convey the experience of a free bird?

  a free bird is lazy and does not need to do much
• by referring to stanza 2, explain the ways in which the caged bird is trapped and explain why he stalks

  the bird's feet are tied and its wings are clipped it also stalks because it helps the bird see through its anger
• what does the caged bird's singing reveal about it

  he is terribly unhappy
• explain why the caged bird's song/ is fearful

  the bird is scared of what is to come but still longs for freedom
• explain why the following is a metaphor: a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams.

  the caged bird will never be able to live the life of its dreams that's why the word grave is used because it depicts that the birds dreams ave died and have been buried
• What are the differences between how the caged bird sees and experiences the world and how the free bird sees the world

  • the caged bird sees things with a negative mindset and is not as carefree as the free bird which sees things in a positive light where nothing can go wrong
• the free bird "names the sky his own" Why would he do this what is the importance of naming something?

  "he names the sky his own"meaning he is claiming the sun as his own home or rest place where he makes the rules basically like his own kingdom

  the importance of Naming something means giving it a name makes it real, as well as something that can be communicated about
• the caged bird "sings of freedom". why would he do this, and why would the free bird not do the same

  the free bird is already free and does not have to sing for its freedom
• Explaine how the refrain contributes to the over all meaning of the poem

  the refrain contribute to the musicality of the poem it is like a songs chorus is repeated, hints at ongoing resistance to oppression. voices against inequality and oppression will sing out again and again the cannot be silence though they might be caged