Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"/ Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou’s poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is one of the most classic American poems widely read. This poem has the same title as her autobiography about her early career as a single mom and a writer. The poem starts off with describing the free bird that flies through the sky with confidence and courage. The phrase “dares to claim the sky” shows how the free bird is certain of its own ability. Then, the next stanza draws a big contrast by describing the caged bird. The caged bird “can seldom see through his bars of rage,” so instead “he opens his throat to sing.” Angelou describes the situation of the caged bird, not allowed to fly, so instead the caged bird chooses to voice his thoughts. Then the next stanza describes the tune of the caged bird: “His tune is heard on the distant hill/ for the cages bird sings of freedom.” What the caged bird wants most eagerly is not food or other necessities; rather it is freedom.
Maya Angelou was very close to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights movement figures during her life time(Angelou, 76). The poem was published in 1983, and this time African Americans were discriminated because of their skin color. They were not allowed to use public facilities and were not allowed to sit in certain areas of the bus. Children attended different schools and African Americans were harassed within the society. In her poem, Angelou metaphorically compares the African Americans to the caged bird who sings for freedom and equality. Angelou herself was an African American woman, which meant that she was in the lowest part of the society. Until she joined the writer’s guild, Angelou served in many different jobs trying to serve herself and her son (Angelou). Through her experience of being in the bottom of the chain of society, Angelou expressed the desire of all African Americans to be free and equal through the poem by comparing them to the caged birds.
Throughout the poem, Angelou’s description of the caged bird emphasizes the bird’s hopelessness. With its wings clipped off and feet tied, the caged bird can do nothing besides singing. However, the repeated stanza about the caged bird singing of freedom gives hope to the readers. As the stanza is repeated, it delivers a message of hope that the caged bird might be able to achieve its freedom one day if it really does not give up and keep singing. Angelou tried to deliver this message of persistence to her fellow African Americans.