"Caged Bird" was published in Maya Angelou's 1983 poetry collection Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? The poem describes the opposing experiences between two birds: one bird is able to live in nature as it pleases, while a different caged bird suffers in captivity. Due to its profound suffering, the caged bird sings, both to cope with its circumstances and to express its own longing for freedom. Using the extended metaphor of the two birds, Angelou paints a critical portrait of oppression in which she illuminates the privilege and entitlement of the un-oppressed, and conveys the simultaneous experience of suffering and emotional resilience. In particular, the poem's extended metaphor can be seen as portraying the experience of being a member of the African American community.
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A free bird ...
... claim the sky.
But a bird ...
... throat to sing.
The caged bird ...
... sings of freedom.
The free bird ...
... sky his own
But a caged ...
... throat to sing.
The caged bird ...
... sings of freedom.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
Biography — A brief biography of Maya Angelou by Poetry Foundation.
Oprah Interview — A video clip of Maya Angelou being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 1993
Performance — Video of Maya Angelou performing and reading her work.
"Sympathy" — Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, which inspired Angelou's image of the "caged bird."
Inaugural Poem — A clip of Maya Angelou reading "Still I Rise" at the presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993.