I Know why the Caged Bird sings- Racism and Poetry

How much affect can a poem exert on the society? Can the poet’s own experience be an impact on the reader? Well, yes it can. A poem created through the Poet’s own life experience can make a huge implicit impact towards the reader as well as the society too. Maya Angelou’s most famous work “I know why the caged bird sings” is a great example. First published in 1983, it plots a storyline related to two birds, from which one is caged whereas the other is free. The work metaphorically expresses racism placed in America. In more ways it focuses the caged bird rather than the free bird. Maya’s work can also relate highly to today’s society since Racism is one of the top talks in the town.

Maya Angelou, is a distinguished, popular American poet born on April 4th 1928. Her other excellences include “The Heart of a Woman”, “Mom & Me & Mom” etc. Her primary work is regarded as “I Know why the Caged Bird sings” comprising of her life until age of 17, the ballad was capable of earning her worldwide recognition and acclaim. Angelou’s Honours include the Pulitzer Prize, plus three Grammy’s for her spoken word albums. Moreover, she was presented the Presidential medal of freedom by President Obama during the year of 2011. Maya Angelou’s writings mainly focus on her breaking the barriers of being a Black American Woman, her skilfulness in writing is often praised by critics as powerful but also smooth at the same time. Some even believe Maya invented an own genre of literature by her poems and stories, however it can be said she is a phenomenal writer that changed a course in the history, although during her first years her books were subjected to banning by the US Libraries. Maya was successful not only as a poetess but also an actress and singer. She passed away peacefully at the age of 86, leaving behind her memories.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is based on the poet’s real life experiences of racism, until the age of 17. According to the title it focuses mainly to the Caged Bird rather than the Free bird in comparison. The poem goes on like this;

The 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

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

The caged bird sings

With fearful trill

Of the things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill for the caged bird

sings of freedom

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

But the 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

The caged bird sings

With fearful trill

Of the things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill for the caged bird

sings of freedom -Maya Angelou.

In the first phrase the writer emphasizes the free bird, metaphorically symbolizing the white skinned people that has freedom to do whatever they want. In the ballad this bird can move freely in the sky, it floats, “leaps on the back of the wind”, independently. At the end it even “dares to claim the sky”. It simply shows how the White Americans used to have everything while Blacks went without most essentials, clearly aimed towards the White Americans, who criticize Black skinned to be “dirty or unclean”. These type of racism took place in America since the early stages of the country’s History. Whites used to have high status also privilege to do anything or to own anything, in contrast to the Black People who were always limited by rules and laws. Maya explicit how cut off she felt from the ordinary world. The starting stanza may not seem to have much weight, but it does contain a deep meaning when compared to the next stanza. The next set of seven lines discusses injustice, intimidation of the Blacks due to a problem of the skin colour, it also brings out the frustration and segregation that goes within the minds of Black People. When the free bird rejoices the freedom it has, the caged bird worries regarding its miserable state. Even though it intends to move out from the prison, it can’t due to the barriers put up by the white Americans.

The second stanza uses several powerful words like “Stalks” meaning walking slowly, pointing out the state of the poor animal. “Seldom” which here pulls out the meaning rarely seen. This portrays a different background from the free bird. “Bars of rage” creates a complicated atmosphere with use of literally language. ‘Rage’ guides the reader to a conclusion of ‘Hate’, meaning that these unfair nature and actions eventually picks up ‘hate’ at the end. These phrases rise the poem to its paradox.

The third stanza completely gives the priority to the Negros grief in the lost unfair world. It mentions “things unknown” it directly refers to things about freedom, previously it senses “fearful trill” embracing the fact how scared it is about its own future, which immediately resembles to the “fearful trill” black Americans endure every single day when in concern of their future. Although the bird’s tune isn’t much harmonic it contains the willingness, hopes of a bright future in the near future. The voice of the bird spreads as far over hills, as it sings of the injustice faced, and condemning society. In overall the stanza emphasizes how bad racism is for the Black people, who ones were in their own worlds but were subjected to work as slaves to other people due to the revolution in the world.

Maya’s own experiences come with the unpleasant way she was treated by the outer world. Her life wasn’t a well easy one, she had to work several odd jobs during the start due to the discrimination. The jobs include Fry cook, Nightclub performer, Porgy and Bess cast member etc. The adjective “Caged” highlights the way her opportunities of expressing herself in public were limited. Angelou’s words are powerful enough to give a person the trouble black people went through in the past. In the ages of history, Negros often came towards public humiliation as well. Also they weren’t very much privileged even to at least sit in a public transport, Black American Children were too prohibited to eat from school cafeterias, besides this they weren’t allowed to mix up with White Americans at all. The fact of discrimination due to skin colour is very much intriguing because of the tension, stress as well as pressure on the victims.

The poem’s next two twin verses compare and contrasts what the free bird has and what of those the caged bird doesn’t have. It is very disturbing to listen to agony of the bird. Unlike to the free bird who “thinks about another breeze”, the caged bird stands on a “Grave of dreams”, The poetess uses two unusual words “Grave” and “Dream” as a combination to fulfil dead thoughts of the Caged Bird. It highlights how the achievements have died out, meaning that Dreams Are Dead for Negro’s. This again paints a picture regarding a prisoner, it explicit that dreams of free world are lastly taken down to the graves. Even though the free bird may see the world freely, the contrasting bird sees the world through “bars of rage” creating an illustration of the amount of hatred Black people have within their actions plus feelings. In these twin verses there is a great difference shown among the two birds. For the free bird “…he names the sky his own…” while for the caged bird “…he opens his throat to sing…”. The variable amount of freedom is shown through these phrases. The only medium that Negro’s can use to point out their grief is verbal communication, as in contrast the others are allowed to use any. From the whole tragic poem, it can be stressed that these verses create an ultimate paradox, with alignment to the theme of “Racism”.

Angelou next uses a chorus repetition as the last stanza. She uses the prior stanza of “The caged bird sings…”, Once again briefing the tragedy, conflict filled lives of the Black Americans. It also reflects upon how Maya Angelou strived through all the racism to become a well-known actress, poetess as well as activist. The presentation of image of the caged bird is drastically emotional to the viewer, in the last stanza. Angelou’s reflects that she couldn’t think straight due to the compression from external forces around the society.

Maya Angelou’s poem, “I Know why the caged Bird sings” proves the thin line it has with the theme of “Racism” creating a wide open path to people to see what the people have suffered along the past years. The poem is highly praised for the use of metaphorical symbols, Contrast and also visual imagery. It is also recognized as anthem for the Black’s. the importance of the poem may not only seem to be about Maya’s life but, it may include the lives of Martin Luther King who gave leadership to these Negros, Rosa Parks who stood up for equal rights, Nelson Mandela the unforgettable hero of the Black Americans, President Obama the sweet success of Presidency for the Black Americans. Critics believe that even though this poem was a part of a Biography, it represents all the community.

Towards the Modern world we can see lot of racism staged, the criticism of humans due to skin colour needs to stop, if not today then maybe tomorrow. In the world we live in, we can experience brutality of the society, Racism is one such topic. The above poem may not only concentrate on one poem but it may be for Political discrimination, Gender discrimination, poverty and terrorism. Victims of these may live with hatred which may result in a lot of destruction later on, Therefore it’s better Prevention than the cure. Love is the only answer, no person must include hatred, the inspiration of discrimination comes in different ways, but if those paths are blocked the world would be a better place. It’s time that discrimination of human due to silly things stop. Humans are regarded as the animals with ‘high intelligence’ but it seems that we are the stupidest of all. Discrimination simply needs a full stop.

There seems to be no space among the topics of Poetry and Racism, poetry is a medium used to express the grief, sorrow, sadness of every victim of Racism. Besides the impact made from the poem maybe great. “I Know Why the caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou is only one such example, while there are more.