by Maya Angelou
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down its narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful thrill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings for freedom
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
The caged bird sings
with a fearful thrill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Being a free bird...
A free bird has all the freedom it wants. It can fly freely to anywhere its wings take it to. It can explore the world, search for its food, soar in the sky, fly above the sea, meet other birds...
"he calls to the sky his own"
the entire sky is its home - unbounded by anything.
Being a caged bird...
A caged bird doesn't have the opportunity to see the world beyond the bars. Its wings are clipped, feet are tied. Due to the narrow space of the cage, its movement is severely restricted.
"bars of rage" refers to the cage.
Why rage? Because the bird is angry - it is trapped - it is held against its will.
A caged bird sings with a fearful thrill.
rage + fear = a great deal of insecurity, unhappiness and anger
Rage: (anger) being caged, trapped, its freedom is denied
Fear: of never being free, of being harmed
"grave of dreams" : again, it's another metaphor for the cage
Here, it provokes another issue -
it's merely alive, not living.
The caged bird has no freewill, it has nothing to look forward to, all of its dreams are doomed to die.
Being alive: physical state of existence
Living: enjoying life, living life to the fullest
"his shadow shouts a nightmare scream"
the caged bird is merely alive. Its very existence is like that of a shadow - no form, nothing concrete. The caged bird lives in a cage (the "grave of dreams") and so it has no real forms, no real importance.
so that even its most frightening scream is silent.
"the things unknown but longed for still"
"sings of freedom"
The two lines suggest that the caged bird has never known freedom, never known what life beyond the bars is like. Yet, it has a deep longing for freedom. A poignant desire for freedom.
"so he opens his throat to sing"
Its voice = sad + fear + anger + sorrow
This is the only part of the bird that can 'fly' - it is the one things that the bird can set free!
I was deeply stirred by this poem when i studied it. Wanted to share it but I always didn't have the time to do so. Somehow, i feel for the bird, it's just a bird but it sounds so like someone. Having dreams unfulfilled without even trying, it feels utterly mortally awful. However, life still rolls on ey? Whether you like it or not, you are still gonna live it.
Merely alive or living? Aah, that's another problem again.
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down its narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful thrill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings for freedom
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
The caged bird sings
with a fearful thrill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
* * *
Being a free bird...
A free bird has all the freedom it wants. It can fly freely to anywhere its wings take it to. It can explore the world, search for its food, soar in the sky, fly above the sea, meet other birds...
"he calls to the sky his own"
the entire sky is its home - unbounded by anything.
Being a caged bird...
A caged bird doesn't have the opportunity to see the world beyond the bars. Its wings are clipped, feet are tied. Due to the narrow space of the cage, its movement is severely restricted.
"bars of rage" refers to the cage.
Why rage? Because the bird is angry - it is trapped - it is held against its will.
A caged bird sings with a fearful thrill.
rage + fear = a great deal of insecurity, unhappiness and anger
Rage: (anger) being caged, trapped, its freedom is denied
Fear: of never being free, of being harmed
"grave of dreams" : again, it's another metaphor for the cage
Here, it provokes another issue -
it's merely alive, not living.
The caged bird has no freewill, it has nothing to look forward to, all of its dreams are doomed to die.
Being alive: physical state of existence
Living: enjoying life, living life to the fullest
"his shadow shouts a nightmare scream"
the caged bird is merely alive. Its very existence is like that of a shadow - no form, nothing concrete. The caged bird lives in a cage (the "grave of dreams") and so it has no real forms, no real importance.
so that even its most frightening scream is silent.
"the things unknown but longed for still"
"sings of freedom"
The two lines suggest that the caged bird has never known freedom, never known what life beyond the bars is like. Yet, it has a deep longing for freedom. A poignant desire for freedom.
"so he opens his throat to sing"
Its voice = sad + fear + anger + sorrow
This is the only part of the bird that can 'fly' - it is the one things that the bird can set free!
* * *
I was deeply stirred by this poem when i studied it. Wanted to share it but I always didn't have the time to do so. Somehow, i feel for the bird, it's just a bird but it sounds so like someone. Having dreams unfulfilled without even trying, it feels utterly mortally awful. However, life still rolls on ey? Whether you like it or not, you are still gonna live it.
Merely alive or living? Aah, that's another problem again.
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