What is the message of the poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?

What is the message of the poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?

Angelou deals with a sense of limitation, separation and marginalization through the metaphor of the bird in a cage. Importantly, her poem suggests that the desire to be free will always be expressed, despite circumstances that might quell the spirit.

What’s the theme of caged bird?

The principal theme of “Caged Bird” is freedom. Closely related to this theme are imprisonment and confinement—in other words, a lack of freedom.

Under what circumstances does the caged bird sing what does it tell us about his condition?

The bird is essentially deprived of freedom, rights and justice. He is fearful with the utmost uncertainty of his life. He has never experienced freedom and so doesn’t even know how it tastes. Locked in the cage, he is both saddened and angry at the same time.

How does the poet reveal the plight of the caged bird?

The two main ways the plight is revealed are directly, through description such as clipped wings and tied feet, and indirectly, through comparisons and descriptions of the two birds’ songs and dreams.

What is the name of the bird mentioned in the poem?

While in other nature poems we come across birds such as nightingales or sparrows, Frost has used a crow in this poem. A crow can be associated with something dark, black, and foreboding. That is why other poets usually mention singing nightingales or beautiful white doves in their poems.