I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Stanza - 1:

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wings

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

Questions:

1. Describe in your own word the journey of the free bird as the poetess describes in the first stanza.

Ans. The free bird jumps over a tree and starts floating in the air with the help of its wings. The free

bird flows till the current of the flight takes it and immerses in pleasure as it baths in the sunlight and

declares its freedom.

2. What does the poetess mean by ' dares to claim the sky '?

Ans. The free bird proclaims its jurisdiction by flying high in the sky and thus by claiming the sky. It

dares to do so as it is free to choose its own jurisdictions.

3. What does the poetess want to say through the example of a free bird?

Ans. Through the example of a free bird, the poetess Maya Angelou talks about the significance of the

freedom- the happiness that people have who are free to do whatever they intend to.

Stanza - 2:

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.

Questions:

1. What does the poet mean by stalks down by his narrow cage? What does the bird do which stalks

down his narrow cage?

Ans. The term 'stalks' mean tracks, but the poet uses it here in an ironic way to mean that the caged

the bird can only be within the narrow cage and cannot really move, a bird which is stalked down its

narrow cage can do nothing but sing because the bird can only dream of freedom which is missing in

its life.

2. Comment on the last line of the passage.

Ans. The caged bird opens his throat to sing because being within the narrow cage it can only dream of freedom, so it sings songs of freedom. Having no place to move within the narrow cage, the caged bird can only sing its sorrow and it is never to fulfill the dream of freedom.

Stanza - 3:

The caged bird sings

with 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.

Questions:

1. How is the caged bird different from the free bird according to the poet?

Ans. The caged bird differs from the free bird in the following ways:

a. The free bird claims the sky and proclaims its jurisdictions whereas the caged bird is limited to its narrow cage and moreover his wings are clipped and feet are tied.

b. The free bird baths in the orange sun rays and can choose its own food whereas the caged

bird's movement is restricted and can only sing about freedom.

2. Why is the tune of the caged bird heard on the distant hill?

Ans. The tune of the caged bird is so shrill that it even reaches the distant hill.

3. What does the poet mean by "the caged bird sings of freedom"?

Ans. The caged bird's movement is restricted within the narrow cage and therefore having no other

choice the bird sings of freedom.

Stanza - 4:

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.

Questions:

1. What does the poet mean by "The free bird thinks of another breeze"?

Ans. By "The free bird thinks of another breeze" the poet means that after finishing one flight the free

bird thinks of taking the next flight.

2. What does the word "trade" signify in the context?

Ans. The word "trade" signifies 'to deal with'.

3. How does the free bird name the sky his own? What does the poet mean by that?

Ans. The free bird names the sky on its own by taking its flight. the extent of the flight is unlimited as if is to proclaim its jurisdictions.

The poet means that the free bird is free to choose to fly in any direction it

feels like.

Stanza - 5:

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.

Questions:

1. Why does a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams?

Ans. A caged bird stands on the grave of dreams because the cage is like the graveyard to the bird's dream and aspiration. He is restricted to a great extent and his condition is nightmarish.

2. What is the nightmare scream that the poet is referring to?

Ans. The song of the caged bird is the nightmare scream because living within the cage is a nightmare for the bird. It can only carry on screaming from its cage, a scream which echos till the distant hills because of its shrill noise.

Stanza - 6:

The caged bird sings

with 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.

Question:

1. Why does the caged bird sings with a fearful trill?

Ans. the caged bird sings with a fearful trill because it fears its own faith. Fearful trill signifies a shrill

note of fear.

2. What is the subject of the caged bird song?

Ans. The subject of the caged bird song is its aspiration for freedom.

3. Whom does the first metaphor signifies?

Ans. The first metaphor is of the free bird that is for the White Americans or free people while the

caged bird is the metaphor of the African Americans and their captivity in their social norms.

I Hope you have understood the Answers now.

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