CAGED BIRD

‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou is a representation of her own life. In the poem, the
poetess describes the experience of two different birds, one free and one caged. The
free bird symbolizes white Americans or all free people who enjoy equal rights. The
caged bird is a metaphor for/symbolizes oppressed Black Americans, kept captive
through racist policies.
THEMES
● Freedom

● Oppression

● Discrimination

● Criticism
LITERARY DEVICES
1. Enjambment: a literary device that appears when a poet cuts off a sentence or
phrase with a line break before its natural stopping point.
For example, the transition between lines one and two of the first stanza and lines
three and four of the second stanza.
2. Repetition: a literary device in which words, phrases or sentences are repeated-
seen most prominently in the structure of the stanzas and the continual reference to
the “free bird” and “caged bird.”
For example, entire third stanza has been repeated at the end of the poem, thus
creating a strong, emphasizing effect, signifying the absence of freedom due to
 oppression and discrimination.
3. Alliteration: solely focused on the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning
of multiple words. It creates a specific rhythm which is striking and injects emotion in
the piece of writing.
For example, ‘shadow shouts’
4. Imagery: Using a combination of imagery arms the reader with as much information
as possible and helps them create a more vivid mental picture of what is happening,
thus evoking relevant emotions.
For example, ‘A free bird leaps on the back of the wind’ (KI)/ ‘distant hill’(VI)
5. Metaphor: it creates comparative connection and empathy by delivering more than
literal significance.
For example, ‘the grave of dreams’
6. Personification: make descriptions of non-human entities more vivid, and help
readers understand, sympathize with, or react emotionally to non-human
characters.
For example, ‘he opens his throat to sing’.
7. Anaphora: Repetition of words or phrases in the beginning of lines or verses.
Example: ‘The caged bird…’, ‘The free bird…’
8. Juxtaposition: Place two contrasting images/ ideas immediately one after another to
heighten the contrast presented.
9. Allusion: When a comparison is made to a popular object/ event/ idea unrelated to
the matter at hand but used strategically to draw comparisons to this
idea/object/event. Example: The plight of the caged bird alluded to the plight of the
African Americans.
10. Refrain: In poetry, a refrain is a repeated word, line or group of lines that appears at
the end of the stanza. Refrain is a poetic device that uses repetition to place
emphasis on a set of words or an idea within a poem. Example: ‘… so he opens his
throat to sing.’
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