Session #1: ELEMENTS OF POETRY

The Elite Mentoring - Ms.Linh

“CAGED BIRD” BY MAYA ANGELOU

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

By Maya Angelou

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.
The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own
But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his feet are tied

his wings are clipped

so he opens his throat to sing.

Share your inital thoughts about the poem:

IMAGERY
Angelou uses different literary techniques in her poem, including imagery. Fill out the chart below
with examples from Anglou's poem "Caged Bird.”

SIGHT SMELL HEARING TASTE TOUCH

SIGHT SMELL HEARING TASTE TOUCH

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Angelou also uses figurative language. After watching the video, please answer the question
below.

• “Caged Bird” uses an extended metaphor throughout  the poem. Even though you
might not know what is being compared, how is the caged bird described?

• Compare and contrast the life of the caged bird versus the life of the free bird.

"SYMPATHY" BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Maya Angelou was influenced by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, especially his famous poem
“Sympathy.”

Sympathy

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!


     When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;  

When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,  

And the river flows like a stream of glass;

     When the first bird sings and the first bud opens,  

And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—

I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing

     Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;  

For he must fly back to his perch and cling  

When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;

     And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars  

And they pulse again with a keener sting—

I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

     When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,

When he beats his bars and he would be free;

It is not a carol of joy or glee,

     But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,  

But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—

I know why the caged bird sings!

SYMBOLISM
After watching the video about symbolism and reading the poems "Caged Bird" and "Sympathy,"

answer the following questions: 

• How do Maya Angelou and Paul Laurence Dunbar use symbolism in their poems?

• Why do you think Angelou uses the same symbol as Dunbar?

TONE VS. MOOD
Tone and mood are similar in that they both establish emotions. Deeper meaning can be revealed
by identifying the tone and mood of a text.

After watching the video about tone and mood and completing the "Highlight It" activity, answer
the following questions: 

• How would you describe the tone of “Caged Bird?”

• How would you describe the mood of the poem?

• There is a shift in the mood of the poem in the second stanza. Why does Angelou
change the overall feeling of the poem in the second stanza? Why does it shift again in
the final stanza?
THEME
So, what’s the poem “Caged Bird” really about? In order to understand the theme of the poem,
you have to put all the pieces together.

After watching the video from the documentary And Still I Rise, answer the following questions:

• How do the visuals connect to the text?

• How would you explain the theme of the poem? What is it really about?

• How does the video help a reader to understand the theme of the poem?

• Describe an example from the video that establishes a connection to the theme.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Final Assignment Options:
• Create a video or visual presentation, like an infographic or collage, for another poem
using the “Caged Bird” video as a model.
• Compare and contrast Angelou and Dunbar’s poems.
• Discuss at least two of the literary elements or devices covered in this lesson –
imagery, figurative language, symbolism, tone, mood, or theme - to analyze how each
contributes to the overall meaning of the poem.
• Write about the “caged bird” as a symbol with historical significance.