In the poem "Sympathy," Paul Laurence Dunbar describes how he knows "what the caged bird feels." In the first stanza, the main idea is longing, with the speaker introducing readers to a beautiful, almost magical landscape, describing the "bright" sun, wind stirring "through the springing grass," river flowing "like a stream of glass," etc. By using sensory details to create such bold imagery, the reader is enchanted by the setting. However, it's assumed that because the bird is caged, it's retained from all this beauty and freedom. This creates a mood with a sense of loss and longing for all that freedom has to offer, because if the bird were free, it'd be able to enjoy these wonders like all other birds. Furthermore, it begins to create the sense of sympathy we feel for the bird, which could relate to sympathy for African-Americans during this time. Dunbar was the son of slaves, and …show more content…
despite the fact that slavery had been abolished, by saying that he knows "what the caged bird feels," he's using an implied metaphor to show that he and other African-Americans were still confined by the bars of racism and limited rights, in a sense, like a caged bird.
In the second stanza of this poem, the author continues developing sympathy for the caged bird, and with that, African-Americans. The speaker says, "I know why the caged bird beats his wing/ Till its blood is red on the cruel bars," implying that the bird is so desperate and has such a ravenous desire of freedom that he'd do anything to escape and get it, even hurt himself. Then, it says, "he must fly back to his perch and cling/ When he fain would be on the bough a-swing," establishing that the bird wishes to be on a branch outside, but he has no choice to sit anywhere except "his perch" in the cage. This could be compared to how African-Americans weren't permitted to sit on
certain benches, drink from certain water fountains, eat in certain restaurants, etc., and longed to be treated equally and have the choice to do as they desired, like everyone else (and simply to have civil rights). Both African-Americans and the bird feel this loss and pain. In the third stanza, the speaker says he knows "what the caged bird sings," illustrating that it isn't a "carol of joy or glee," like most would assume, but it's a "prayer" and a "plea." Obviously, the bird is praying for escape and freedom, so he can be equal to the other birds - like African-Americans praying to have equal civil rights. The author is emphasizing that he and other African-Americans all suffer from racism, and they all desire freedom (and with it, the wondrous opportunities it offers) so much that they pray for it and would hurt themselves to get it, just like the caged bird. This provides a window to the feelings of an African-American's longing and suffering by the immoral treatment of racism. Throughout the entire poem, readers develop sympathy, empathizing with the caged bird for how much it suffers without freedom, as did Dunbar and all other African-Americans.
In “A Caged Bird”, it is made clear that this bird has never experienced the freedom of flying with the other species or perching atop the highest building. All it has ever known is the cage in which is has been kept and fed plentifully, yet not punctually, and nurtured with the love of an owner and proper care.
The tile of the poem “Bird” is simple and leads the reader smoothly into the body of the poem, which is contained in a single stanza of twenty lines. Laux immediately begins to describe a red-breasted bird trying to break into her home. She writes, “She tests a low branch, violet blossoms/swaying beside her” and it is interesting to note that Laux refers to the bird as being female (Laux 212). This is the first clue that the bird is a symbol for someone, or a group of people (women). The use of a bird in poetry often signifies freedom, and Laux’s use of the female bird implies female freedom and independence. She follows with an interesting image of the bird’s “beak and breast/held back, claws raking at the pan” and this conjures a mental picture of a bird who is flying not head first into a window, but almost holding herself back even as she flies forward (Laux 212). This makes the bird seem stubborn, and follows with the theme of the independent female.
The bird that was once free with the freedom of the sky to enjoy, is now caged inside a birdcage with no relief and loss of freedom. No opportunity for the bird, only to be trapped in its own delusion to only hear rumors of the northern lands. The bird is a representation of the slaves in the southern states, with the sky representing America at the time being once a land of the free, opportunity and free religion. Slavery is represented as the bird cage, caging the freedom for the slaves. During this time slavery was popular in the Southern states in the 19th century. Frederick Douglass a slave in the 19th century, who published a book of Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass in 1845. He showed his experience as a slave and his moral
Dunbar finishes off the poem with powerful lines: “But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core, But a plea that upward heaven he flings— I know why the caged bird sings!” The caged bird is depicted as battered, bruised, and beaten from his violent rebellion— praying as his last chance of freedom. The bird’s belief in its virtuous rebellion justifies the revolt, as we see the bird’s constant persistency, even as the mutiny is demoted to
Initially, the poem appears to be about an observer forming a connection with a blackbird that he encounters many times. Then the reader realizes that the poem is by Stevens and something else must be going on- and they are correct. In order to see the entire picture, it is very important to look at the bits and pieces that create it. The meaning of each individual part, the setting, the usage of literary devices such as distinct symbolism, and versatile thematic messages are all very important in creating a clear understanding. The path has been laid out, now it is time to shred this work into pieces!
Furthermore, Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘Caged Bird,’ there is a heavy usage of imagery to contrast the lives of the free and caged bird. For example, the first stanza includes vivid details about how free and easygoing the free bird’s life is. The text includes, “A free bird leaps/ on the back of the wind/ and floats downstream…” “...and dips his wing/ in the orange sun rays/ and dares to claim the sky.” Evidently, this bird can openly travel through the wonders of the world, such as streams and beautiful skies; there seems to not be a care in the world. However, the reader gets a peek into the life of the caged bird, who has a multitude of challenges and sorrow. These circumstances are first shown in the second stanza, but there is a more intense picture in stanza five, “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream/ his wings are clipped and his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing.” There is an obvious switch in mood that is projected from the author, as the caged bird has lost its dreams and had many obstacles preventing it from breaking
Just like the caged bird, the narrator feels caged and trapped. The narrator is trapped within a certain social class and the way white society expects him to behave, and how he should behave to his fellow blacks. Trueblood receives money and kindness from white people after they hear his story of him raping his own daughter because of a dream. Though the black community ridiculed him, the whites were interested in the story and showed him some sort of praise. Wanting the blacks to behave more animalistic and ignorant rather than “rational” like themselves.
In the poem “Sympathy” the author explains why the caged bird sings, this is said many times through the poem. The caged bird attempts to get out of his cage, he doesn’t stop trying to escape. “I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till it’s blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would
She accomplishes this through her use of imagery and allusion. Johnson describes the abilities of women by illustrating the life of a free bird. A woman is “a lone bird, soft winging, so restlessly on,/ Afar o’er life’s turrets and vales does it roam/ In the wake of those echoes the heart calls home.” (“The Heart of a Woman” 2-4). This imagery allows the reader to visualize a bird flying over mountains and valleys, and living its life freely. This bird is able to do what it wishes without being told what to do. The poem then ends with the haunting image of the bird being locked up in “sheltered bars” (“The Heart of a Woman 8). By contrasting the actions which women partake, Johnson attempts to inform women of their “unrealized ambitions and the pain that can emerge from domesticity” ( Brown). There are many opportunities for women to live life freely rather than existing as a housemaid. Johnson hopes to warn women to not allow their life become limited, because she lived with a husband who implored her to become the stereotypical housewife. She did not listen to his desires and wrote. Johnson wishes to encourage other women to have the courage to grasp their own lives as well. Johnson also encourages women by alluding to Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy.” As depicting the heart of a woman as “tr[ying] to forget it has dreamed of the stars/ While it breaks, breaks, breaks on the sheltering bars.” (“The Heart of a Woman” 7-8), Johnson references the caged bird in Dunbar’s poem. His poem is about a captive bird that beats its wings against the bars of its cage (Brown), because it wants to be free and live its life. If the reader picks up on this allusion, they realize the connection between the poems and the severity of Johnson’s warning. Johnson portrays domesticity as being caged while freedom is just beyond one’s grasp.
This can be seen when Dunbar writes, “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 faint perfume from its chalice steals I know what the caged bird feels!” (Dunbar, 2/7). Taking this into consideration, we can see that the bird wants to be free to take part of the beauty around, in the same manner as the free bird does. In addition, the bird in “Caged Bird”, written eighty-four years later, still had the same aspirations. In particular when Angelou writes, “ The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees to the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
The novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings goes through the childhood of Maya Angelou as she faces the difficult realities of the early South. This novel does not do a very good job at portraying the hardships of the blacks because she
bird as the metaphor of the poem to get the message of the poem across
I chose these three poems because the subject matter appealed to me and I believe that the poems convey their meaning very effectively. Upon researching the poems, I discovered that Caged Bird was in fact inspired by Sympathy, which accounts for the similarities in language and imagery, as outlined below. All three poems deal with the subject of freedom using the imagery of birds; On Liberty and Slavery is narrated as a human plea for freedom, and makes reference to birds in that context, whereas Caged Bird and Sympathy both use the imagery of caged birds to explore the theme of loss of freedom. The symbolism of birds is used to depict freedom, as birds are essentially without constraints; in comparison to the limitations of humans, they have limitless possibilities. When a bird is caged, however, it loses that potential and is restricted not by its own limitations, but the limits set by another.
In the “Caged Bird” Angelou’s comparison to the caged bird was African-Americans in the society they were living in. She symbolized the bird with African-Americans experiences. In the second stanza the poem states “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing”. This is comparison to African-Americans in their society. When African- Americans were enslaved they use to sing songs to uplift their spirits because that’s all they could do. They were physically bound and mentally brain-washed. The songs was there way of showing they still had fight left in them. In the fourth stanza it states “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”. This is saying the while African-Americans were enslaved and oppressed they watched Caucasians be free and do as they pleased. Although at the time African-Americans never experienced freedom they yearned for it. They knew it had to be better then what they were enduring. Racism is considered the cage around the caged bird, and it means not getting treated fairly with jobs, medical treatment, and even get
Throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, racism is a frequent obstacle that non-whites had to overcome. When Maya is young, she doesn’t recognize the racism and discrimination as well as her grandmother does. As Maya gets older, she begins to recognize and take notice to the racism and discrimination towards her and African Americans everywhere. Maya may not recognize the racism and discrimination very well at her young age, but it still affects her outlook on life the same way it would if she had recognized it. The racism and discrimination Maya faced throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, affected her attitude, personality, and overall outlook on life in a positive way.