I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou Analysis

In 1969 segregation and racism were separating the people of America, not only physically but also emotionally. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” written by Maya Angelou, captured the separation and unfairness of society. This poem is an accurate representation of the pain and hardship of the African American community. Marguerite Ann Johnson, now known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri. She was a civil rights activist as seen in many of her poems. Angelou experienced pain and racial prejudice throughout her life. As a young girl she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Her uncle was furious with the sexaul assault and murdered the boyfriend. This entire experience caused Angelou much pain, and she became mute for many years. At the time of the second world war, Angelou was awarded with a scholarship to study at the California Labor School. In the year 1944 Angelou gave birth to her son. However, she married another man in 1952. This is when she took the name Maya Angelou. She began working as a performer in the mid 1950’s. She was in many productions including Porgy and Bess and Calypso Heat Wave. Her friends urged her to begin writing poetry, and in 1969 she had a very
This is the central message or theme of the poem. Angelou is able to build this theme through a series of literary devices. She uses the cage to symbolize racism around the bird. The entire poem is an extended metaphor, comparing the 2 birds and the cage to whites, blacks, and the racism and oppression that separate the two. This poem shows that while the birds are both birds, one is unfairly trapped in a place he cannot escape. This is symbolizing that although black and white people are all humans, the blacks are trapped behind the “bars” of racism. Although Angelou wrote the poem to symbolize racial oppression, it can really symbolize anyone feeling trapped or being treated as