I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Quote Analysis

It is often said that every man is born equal. I disagree, however, some are born into more luxurious lives, some are born disabled with no way to recover, and some are born with a special “ticket” through life called talent. In fact, the only time that we are truly equal is in death. No one gets to buy, run, swim, jump, or debate their way out of death. This is a fact shown clearly to the reader in Maya Angelou’s book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings in Chapter 26 when she states, “... and all the way I communed with death’s angels, questioning their choice of time, place, and person”, (page 163). I learned something from her quote that I can relate to my real life as well. We may not be able to escape death, and neither can those around us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do great things that will leave behind a legacy in this world. I can’t say that I immediately moved forward after the incident, but I did manage to do great things that year despite the tragedy that occurred. I learned this the hard way last year at the beginning of the school year. In the book Angelou goes to the funeral of Mr. Taylor’s wife, and she learns that even though she has passed away, her memory lives on, especially in the man who loved her most. At the beginning of the last school year on September 11, early in the morning, I received the fateful knock on my door. I opened it to my sister
Sydnye, her face blotchy and tears in her eyes. She barely choked out the word “Vinny” before I bolted up the stairs and into my parents room. Vinny was the name of our white maltese puppy. We had received him as a gift from my parents seven years earlier and he’d been one of the things I held closest to my heart. At the age of six he’d been diagnosed with diabetes, and slowly after he had begun to lose vision in both his eyes. But I still believed he had been living comfortably, which is why I was totally shocked at the fact that he’d had a seizure in the middle of the night and hadn’t recovered. I walked into my parents room where he was laid out on his favorite pillow, his eyes partially open. I could still hear his breathing and wanted nothing more than to hold him in my arms. As my hand touched his fur his body twitched and writhed as though he were in pain. I scooped up his body in my arms and brought him close and told him how much I loved him and cried into his fur. I wanted nothing more than to be with him in his final moments, but I had to go to school and live on to be productive. About three hours later I received the text from my father saying that Vinny had to be put down and that he hadn’t truly ever woken up that morning. I was stunned, I didn’t want to go on in school, I didn’t want to go to swim practice, and most of all I didn’t want to live without my best friend. Just as Maya Angelou moved on and lived her life throughout the book, I had to move on from this experience and become the best human being I could possibly become. I will admit, it was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but just as Maya had Bailey, I had my family who had gone through the same exact experience as me. Even though I had these people beside me supporting me, I trudged through the next weeks not wanting to swim, go to school, or even hang out with friends. It had been the first time I had truly suffered a loss. My parents had told me that it was time to move on and to make a name for myself, but that was hard to do. How was I just suppose to forget him and move on? Eventually my mother had told me that I had to keep moving forward and keep functioning, or else I would never be able have another dog. This of course shocked me back into at least a daily routine, but the whole time I asked the same question, “Why my dog? Why did God choose to take my dog at the beginning of my freshman year right before swim season?” This is where I truly learned that death has no bias and that it can come at any time. I then realised that I must keep moving forward. I would do my best in school, I would become the best possible athlete, and most of all, I couldn’t close myself off from my friends and family. Death may not have a bias, but I have the ability to leave my mark on the world for many years after I pass away. Maya Angelou states that, “and all the way I communed with death’s angels, questioning their choice of time, place, and person,” all questions that I too was asking myself.
I had to realise that I can’t stop the deaths of those that I love, but I can honor their legacy by creating my own. I have a life to live. A life that I can’t waste by worrying about death. I plan to lead a prosperous life filled with love and kindness, but if something were to happen to prevent that I hope that everyone around me would remember me well and move on with their lives. Life is short, so why not make the most of
it?