160. Someone who does not want to study.

I know why the caged bird sings

Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back

Of the wind and floats downstream

Till the current ends and dips his wing

In the orange sun's 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 a 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.

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 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.

The caged bird sings with

A 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.

This is one of my favourite poems :] I thought I'd share it here today because a) It serves as a good tie-in to my blog (bird's wing: one day all of us might fly towards freedom) and b) english unfamiliar texts is tomorrow. So I decided that I'd try to delve deeper into this poem haha, as a

form of not so serious study?

Well firstly, the poem is about the comparison between the life of a free bird and the life of a caged bird in an A B B A B B structure where A is a stanza about the free bird and B is a stanza about the caged bird. As we can see, the caged bird is more of the focus (hence the title).

Extensive imagery is used when describing the life of a free bird. I won't go into the techniques and stuff because it's boring >_>; even though that's what I really should be talking about. The free bird "dares to claim the sky" and "names the sky his own"; the free bird is empowered and has no limits -- it's even able to claim such a big thing as the sky. Pretty much the poem describes a free bird's life to be beautiful, amazing, with words like "dawn-bright" "orange sun's rays", symbols of light, goodness, to show how good its life is. This contrasts with the caged bird's "shadow shouts" and "nightmare screams", images of darkness, symbols of badness and oppression. Also the sights described that the free bird can see are contrasted with the experience of the caged bird who can "seldom see through his bars of rage". Furthermore "fat worms" is used since "fat" suggests plentiful resource -- the free bird has everything; the free bird prospers. The caged bird? He "stalks down his narrow cage"... "narrow" being a description for something that is not big enough for him... He does not have enough for himself.

Despite all the above, despite how "his wings are clipped and his feet are tied", the caged bird sings. In fact, it's WHY he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird cannot fly, cannot run... what does he have left? He can only sing. I believe that this poem is relating the caged bird to the enslaved and oppressed in our world who are also, literally or metaphorically 'tied back', who have nothing left but their voice and will. They have never known freedom, yet they yearn for it and sing for it. ("The caged bird sings with a fearful trill / of things unknown but longed for still") Perhaps the concept of freedom is frightening as well?

Interestingly, birds are also a symbol for rebirth (eg. mythical phoenix that can rise from its own ashes). Perhaps this poem is also using this symbolism and saying that when the caged bird sings it is also dreaming of its 'rebirth' and potential to become a free bird.

Nonetheless, despite the apparent decrepitude of the caged bird's situation, his "tune is heard on the distant hill". As long as we have the will, as long as we continue to "sing of freedom" like the caged bird, as long as we never give up hope, our cries will be heard somewhere, by someone. Even in our darkest hours and we can't do anything else, the least we can do is not give up hope. Without his voice, the caged bird himself will become little more than a shadow beyond the grave. Likewise, without hope, we become little more than unfortunate souls waiting for death.

Personally, I've always imagined myself to be a bit like the caged bird. Perhaps not so much like this particular unfortunate caged bird, but one shut in a cage. I think this poem could also apply to the everyday person and not just those enslaved formally. There are a lot of us who haven't realised our full potential but know that it's out there somewhere, but can't see a way through the chaos of reality to reach it. Our wings may not be clipped and our feet not tied but the cage door is shut. I guess some way or another we're all seeking a way to open the cage door and fly away like a free bird. Actually this is the thought that made me name my blog after birds. When I started, this blog was meant to be a timeline of my growth and maturity as I gathered enough strength to fly out of my own cage. I don't think I'm quite there yet, but life's certainly been an adventure since I started this blog 2 years ago :] Hopefully one day I too can claim the sky as my own.

So tell me, do you know why the caged bird sings?