I Know Why The Caged Bird Diction
analytical Essay
566 words
In the poem, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou juxtaposes two birds to demonstrate the harmful effects of oppression. One bird is allowed to soar freely through the skies, while the other is shut in a cage and can only hope to be released someday. Angelou uses this comparison to show the importance of. Throughout the poem, the author’s use of diction and rhetorical devices make her message more powerful to the reader. The free bird shows that freedom is what gives one the opportunity to pursue happiness. This idea is emphasized through the author’s use of a mirthful and confident tone when referring to the free bird. In the first stanza, Angelou creates a powerful image by stating that the bird “dips his wings” (5) as he flies …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how maya angelou juxtaposes two birds to demonstrate the harmful effects of oppression in her poem, "i know why the caged bird sings."
- Analyzes angelou's use of a mirthful and confident tone when referring to the free bird.
- Analyzes how angelou uses blunt diction and refers to the caged bird in a gloomy tone to emphasize that the bird is unhappy and infuriated that he is not allowed to fly free.
- Analyzes how angelou demonstrates the value of one's freedom and the cruelty of taking it. her use of juxtaposition and other rhetorical devices make the message more powerful and make this a truly inspirational piece of literature.
In order to emphasize this, Angelou uses blunt diction and refers to him in a gloomy tone. He is trapped behind “his bars of rage” (11) and can only hope to be freed. By using the word “rage”, Angelou suggests to the reader that the caged bird is not only unhappy; he is infuriated that he is not allowed to fly free like the others. This idea is emphasized when the author states that the caged bird sings “with fearful trill” (16). Instead of singing a graceful melody, he sings an irritating trill and that everyone could hear. Although he fears for what would happen to him next, he continues to sing, because his voice is the only thing that has not been taken away from him. Since he has been unfairly deprived of freedom, he is forced to stand on the “grave of [his] dreams” (27). Angelou uses this metaphor to show that when a people’s freedoms are taken, they are not given a chance to achieve their goals and accomplish things in life. The caged bird will likely never have an opportunity to improve his conditions, so he is forced to live a miserable and meaningless life
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- Analyzes how angelou gives us insight as to how she lived in a racist southern town.
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- Opines that it is important to read books so that you can relate to them and make them enjoyable. both of these works teach the topic of racism and how it can destroy lives.
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- Analyzes how alicia keys' song 'caged bird' includes metaphors similar to those in "sympathy."
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- Analyzes how maya angelou's "caged bird" depicts a scene in which one bird is free, soaring wherever the bird wishes, happily, while another is caged, miserable, with clipped wing, tied up.
- Analyzes how the isolation of the caged bird in "sympathy" correlates to 's feelings due to current events.
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- Analyzes how maya angelou was told she wasn't good enough, she couldn’t become anything she wanted to become, and she didn’ t belong. the only thing holding her back was the fact that she was black.
- Analyzes how maya faced discrimination from the receptionist at the streetcar work office and from other members of society.
- Analyzes how maya's struggle against racism is shown when she decided to not quit and chose the pain of working today to achieve her dream rather than enduring failure.
- Analyzes how maya angelou's determination comes through in her words, her actions, and her ability to separate who she is from the labels that society puts on her.
- Analyzes how i know why the caged bird sings tells the story of racism and the struggle against it with a tone of determination.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that slavery began in the north, and segregation became socially unacceptable. maya angelou and paul laurence dunbar both felt the oppression and injustice of the cruelty on the colored, so they expressed themselves through poetry.
- Analyzes how maya angelou and paul laurence dunbar metaphorically compare a caged bird to an african american who longs for freedom.
- Analyzes how the birds in both poems coveted the things a free bird had, leading to them feeling trapped in their bodies.
- Analyzes how dunbar sympathizes with the caged bird's emotions and desires to be free. in "sympathy," he relates his segregation issues and lack of freedom to the bird.
- Analyzes how dunbar's poem, "sympathy," conveys the theme of perseverance.
- Analyzes how maya angelou's "sympathy" and "caged bird" are symbolic to the african americans and their long for freedom.
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- Analyzes how maya angelou's poem "i know why the caged bird sings" illustrates a bird that has been upheld by bars of steel keeping him from freedom.
- Analyzes how angelou refers to a caged bird who has almost given up hope for himself. maya signals that the bird opens his throat to sing and screams for freedom.
- Analyzes how marguerite, or maya, was raped and sexaully harassed by a man way too big to fight back against. she hopes that bailey or her mother would walk in.
- Analyzes how angelou relates the poem to the rape and her experience. she uses respectful language and personifications to convey her message.
- Describes maya's struggles as a black woman in the south. she was raped, lied under oath, had no parents to teach her lessons, and was disrespected.
- Analyzes how maya wanted to express two different styles of dealing with being set back and adversity. marguerite had to overcome being rapped, lying under oath, and feeling responsible for the death of mr.
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In this essay, the author
- Compares maya angelou's memoir, i know why the caged bird sings, and her 1993 poem, "on the pulse of morning", which illustrates how realizing the similarities between human groups will foster communication and create a better future for all.
- Analyzes how i know why the caged bird sings and "on the pulse of morning" address the problems humans have had in the past and question why it is that we feel the need to ignore past mistakes.
- Analyzes how angelou's i know why the caged bird sings is characterized by a divergence between the white and black communities and fosters tension and social barriers.
- Analyzes how angelou depicts the creation of a utopia to eliminate prejudices and hatred in the future, and the linearity and inevitability of time in "on the pulse of morning."
- Analyzes how on the pulse of morning is speaking to our corrupt society, informing us that each new hour holds new chances for a new beginning.
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