“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
Maya Angelou
Submitted By
Vipanjeet Kaur
The Free Bird and the Caged Bird
In this poem the free bird is a metaphor for the white race-the White
Americans whereas the caged bird is a metaphor for the coloured race
or the Black Americans. The caged bird cannot go beyond the bars of
racial prejudice. Its feet are tied and wings are clipped i.e its freedom
has been curtailed. The free bird on the other hand flies high in the sky
of new opportunities.
The caged bird
The caged bird has also been used as a metaphor for
depicting enslavement and plight of the African American
women as they are doubly caged or oppressed because
of their race and gender.
Thanks - Vipanjeet