I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Poets commonly talk about issues in society by using figurative language to avoid offending civilization. “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou addresses the huge issue that some humans are repressed while others live free. Angelou uses figurative language such as synecdoches, juxtaposing a caged bird to a free bird, which signifies the natural born rights and freedom that people have, while the caged bird represents people who are repressed and, unfortunately, do not have these rights. The overall…

he can’t stop thinking about. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” symbolizes how the African Americans were treated and how they felt during segregation, “The Raven” is about Edgar’s dead wife Lenore. Both of the texts are similar because they both include things that don’t go away. The theme to “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” there is always something good, don’t let your anger hold you back. In the story, the free bird was happily flying around, while the caged bird was sadly sitting on the…

American plight, modern day society has become more progressive and determined to fight for racial equality. By recounting the persecution of African Americans, the poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Maya Angelou’s autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” contribute to the quest for equal rights. Moreover, these pieces of literature share a central idea as they both focus on the African American struggle. However, while Paul Laurence Dunbar expresses his lack of freedom…

the art of poetry, Edgar Allan Poe said this: “I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of beauty.” Two women who constructed beautiful lyrical poetry are Emily Bronte and Maya Angelou. There are quite a few different forms of poetry, one of which is called lyric poetry: “Lyric poems are shorter poems written in the first person that express deep thoughts and emotions” (Mays A7). Bronte wrote a poem called “The Caged Bird” which prompted multiple responses from…

The Caged America Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes are both famous African American authors and poets. Their works focus on themes like identity, family, travel and racism. Writing on a topic that many people can relate to will not only help me to learn but also the reader. Maya Angelou is a very interesting and engaging author. All of her works have a story behind them. They also allow you to walk away with knowledge of some sort. Angelou was also very involved in current events around the…

novelist James Baldwin, she began work on the book that would become I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Published in 1970, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings received international acclaim made the bestseller list. The book was also banned in many schools during that time as Maya Angelou’s honesty about having been sexually abused opened a subject matter that had long been taboo in the culture. Later, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings would become a course adoption at college campuses around the world.…

oppression. When we put a bird in a cage, we take away it’s freedom because birds are meant to fly as high as they want. Similarly by enslaving a person for almost their entire life and taking away all of their rights and opportunities is like taking away their life. Back then, African Americans had to go through so much pain and torture because they wanted freedom. Their oppressors would not let them live their life and they had to live a life of a caged bird. Caged birds in the poems,…

“Caged Bird” & “Sympathy” Essay The civil rights era was really tough on minorities and they all coped differently.There were some who were optimistic and others who gave up hope for a new life. Injustice and maltreatment can have an erratic effect, and it did. Martin Luther King Jr. reacted with nonviolence, but Malcolm X was aggressive and a bit harsh. The authors used a caged bird to symbolize the difference and similarities between the reaction of the feeling of oppression in the poems…

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing written by Maya Angelou is considered to be a banned book. Middle School/ High School students should be allowed to read the book because it a thrilling autobiography that has many life lessons and is based on a true story. Many people complain the book shows too much sexual activity throughout the book. The book also is based on how blacks were treated treated differently than whites. People may take this book offensive due to the…

depressing. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is another novel that has been banned as well. The book was proclaimed as, “Indecent and inappropriate for young readers(Goffe.)” What is it that leads a book toward getting banned? Being unsuitable for teenagers, or a story that is too melancholy can lead to the title being prohibited in a school. The upsetting part about this, is the fact that some books that are banned are not fiction. They are true stories that portray real events and situations. I…