Caged Bird by Maya Angelou

Caged Bird

The poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou message is based on the freedom and daily life of birds. Looking through the poem, Maya Angelou uses a lot of personification. The poem connects to humans in many ways; the title “Caged Bird’ is a metaphor for the humans being caged. This poem refers to birds to humans. A person can be caged by being stuck in life. The bird “stands on the grave of dreams” connects to humans who didn’t achieve their dreams. The tone of this poem is very depressing because this poem is talking about caged bird, who is trying not to give up. And if you refer the bird as a human it is talking about a depressed human stuck in life and not being able to achieve their dreams. “Orange sun rays” is a connotation, soon happiness is about to fall in this bird or if we refer it as humans life.  In the second stanza, Maya Angelou describes the actions of the caged bird, referred as the depressed human. Maya Angelou states," But a caged bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage". This is an imagery of the anger and frustration human’s who didn’t achieve their dreams tolerate.  In stanza three, the speaker says, "The free bird thinks of another breeze... And the fat worms waiting on the dawn bright lawn". The breeze and fat worm are metaphors for all the hopes the bird or if we refer it as to a human had for their dreams. Maya Angelou also uses auditory devices of alliteration and assonance to give the poem a continuous flow. The repetition of the third stanza also gives some predictability to the poem and allows us to participate actively in the unpleasant troubles of the caged bird.  This poem is a great metaphor that illustrates the attitudes of humans who are stuck in life. Humans and birds should be equally treated and be able to live their live and achieve their dreams.

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