ipl-logo

Analysis Of Marrysong And Caged Bird

1283 Words6 Pages

How do the techniques of symbolism and metaphor convey ideas in the poems 'Marrysong’ and ‘caged bird?' The poems Marrysong and Caged bird by Dennis Scott and Maya Angelou adopt the techniques of metaphor and symbolism to effectively communicate the main ideas in these two poems. A number of differences can be explored in regards to the poems’ theme and tone, but similarities through the poems’ techniques.The first poem has a theme of unpredictability and is about two partners who don't have a perfect love but learn to accept one another for who they are. Angelou’s use of metaphor and symbolism for the second poem sensationally capture the poem's theme of African-American civil rights and strive for racial equality. Dennis Scott’s Marrysong …show more content…

The ‘free bird represents Caucasian people and the caged bird, African-American people. Angelou uses a range of metaphors to convey the abundance of opportunities and advantages given to the ‘free bird’ - further contrasting the two birds/races and how they are forced to/get to live their lives. The metaphor ‘a free bird leaps on the back of the wind’ represents those free opportunities and advantages that white people are handed, the free bird is getting a free ride in life by riding the ‘wind’ - by using the advantages of the race they were born into. The word ‘leapes’ has connotations of freedom and being careless - something that the caged bird is not/ isn't able to be. When the ‘free bird dips his wing in the orange sun rays’, it is representing an abundance of opportunities and freedom. The word ‘dips’ creates that idea of there being plenty, and the free bird is only dipping into or grasping a small part of those plentiful opportunities. The phrase ‘dares to claim the sky’ is symbolism for white men believing they own everything and are able to control everyone. Angelou uses the word ‘dares’ to effectively portray her feelings on this conceived idea by white men (typically), this word has connotations of having consequences. Its as if the author is warning the free bird not to ‘claim the sky’, …show more content…

However, as a reader, I personally find Angelus contrast of rights and advantages determined by the colour of one's skin/race in ‘Caged bird’ more interesting and relatable. It has a greater sense of reality and sparks more emotion than ‘Marrysong’. Although I find Scott's theme of perseverance in a confused love and a man trying to map out his spouses unpredictable personality touching, i cannot relate or feel as involved as I do with the theme of ‘Caged bird’ - where Angelou highlights the idea of acceptance and the significance of equality throughout all

Show More
Related
1259 Words | 6 Pages

In Timmy Reeds short story, “Birds and Other Things We Placed in Our Hearts,” there is a significant amount of imagery and symbolism through the authors use of style, characterization, and theme. The profound use of symbolism in the authors style of writing greatly captures the use of imagery throughout the story. The beginning sentence of the story reads, “As our chests hollowed out, we filled them with birds” (Reed). This beginning sentence is simply stating that the hearts of humans have withered away, leaving them feeling empty, and to fill that emptiness they filled their cavity with birds.

Read More
912 Words | 4 Pages

With the use of these symbols, the author showed how the unfair treatment of women at the time, made it difficult for women to secede and break free from their husbands in the 20th century. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters found Mrs. Wright’s cage and pondered about whether or not she had a bird. Mrs. Hale said, “Maybe she did. She used to sing really pretty well herself.” The singing bird resembles Minnie Foster, caught in Mrs. Wrights cage, surrounded by an atmosphere that represents her miserable life, caged up by her husband, the one who has leverage over her joy, restricting her from blooming.

Read More
504 Words | 3 Pages

Every day, individuals see symbols that represent ideas or qualities, this is called symbolism. In “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst and “The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind” by Ray Bradbury symbolism is used covey powerful messages throughout the story. In “The Scarlet Ibis” a young boy with disabilities is called an embarassment, and is told he would never be able to walk. When one day his brother builds determination to teach him, he is pushed too long and hard which leads to a fatal end. In “The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind”, the short story is an allegory about the Soviet Union and China fighting each other, and constantly trying to out due another.

Read More
641 Words | 3 Pages

Susan Glaspell’s short story, “A Jury of Her Peers” is full of symbolism, which is portrayed through the bird in the story. The story takes place in a house that is set far back and is a lonely place. With the story being written in the 1920’s the attitude men have towards women is by far noticeable throughout the story with them being doubted or looked down upon. There is a murder scene that is being investigated with the wife of the murdered man as the number one suspect. The men in the story are looking in all the wrong places, where the women looked in the one spot to find the one clue that would close the entire case.

Read More
535 Words | 3 Pages

Angelou and Dunbar show similarities when they describe feeling trapped like caged birds, but their portrayal of the birds contrast in their actions

Read More
834 Words | 4 Pages

Poetry is a type of literary work where authors can express their views on feelings, life or something they feel strongly about. Mark Strand and Larry Levis used poems to express their views on poetry. Emotions can be portrayed in a positive way, such as the happiness that is expressed in “Eating Poetry” by Strand, or in a negative way, such as the sad and depressing tone that is conveyed in “The Poem You Asked For” by Levis. Through characterization, imagery and point of view, the authors of these poems made the readers see poetry from different perspectives and emotions. Characterization is used in poetry to help the author bring to life or describe one of the main focuses of their writing, in this case, poetry.

Read More
1630 Words | 7 Pages

If we compare the bird’s wings to Tom Robinson’s hope, the feet to his heart, and his action of  running to the action of opening his throat to sing, we can visualize the song that Tom Robinson would sing, one about him losing hope and not wanting anyone to control his life anymore, and so in this manner he is very much like the caged bird in this poem. Similarly, Tom Robinson’s physical struggles can be compared to the caged bird in the poem “Sympathy”. In the novel it’s written “Tom

Read More
967 Words | 4 Pages

Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening opens with a scene of two birds, emphasizing that the motif of birds later within the novel will play an important part with setting the constant metaphor they bring. Throughout the whole novel the motif of birds is a metaphor for the Victorian women during that period -- caged birds serve as reminders of Edna’s entrapment and the entrapment of Victorian women in general. Edna makes many attempts to escape her cage (husband, children, and society), but her efforts only take her into other cages, such as the pigeon house. Edna views this new home as a sign of her independence, but the pigeon house represents her inability to remove herself from her former life, due to the move being just “two steps away” (122).

Read More
809 Words | 4 Pages

The narrator is aghast when he realizes that the bird can speak. The narrator, both confused and amazed, starts showering the ebony bird with questions. His confusion only grows stronger when he realizes that the bird has only one reply for, Nevermore that he keeps on repeating. The poems major themes are death and sorrow and the nature of the

Read More
409 Words | 2 Pages

The two poems “Sympathy” written by Paul Laurence Dunbar and “Caged Bird” written by Maya Angelou are so similar, yet so different. Both of the poems are very similar because they both share a single underlying theme which is Freedom. Both Dunbar and Angelou wrote their poems about a universal concept that individuals will find at some point in their lifetime. These poems show that when one fights for their rights they will face difficulties, but them having hope will help for them to overcome their pain. The birds in “Sympathy” and “Caged Bird” demonstrate that if they get caught up in a trap the birds are still able to fight for what they want.

Read More
1652 Words | 7 Pages

The bird is interpreted as the symbol of the African-American people, beating their metaphorical wings against their past cages of slavery, and the current cage of segregation and discrimination. Dunbar highlights this notion, declaring, “I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, / When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, - / When he beats his bars and he would be free; / It is not a carol of joy or glee” (Dunbar, “Sympathy” 555). Dunbar addresses the fact that he is able to relate to this bird, and mentions the fact that the bird wishes it could be free; much like the African-Americans wished they could be free from discrimination at the time, while the bruises on the bird’s wings and body symbolize the mental abuse being enforced. Dunbar uses his poem to lay the groundwork for future forms of African-American literature by perpetrating the desire for freedom and equality.

Read More
914 Words | 4 Pages

Hope, Rage, and Sacrifice Oppression is an illness that has plagued the world for centuries. This is shown in “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou as the birds are trapped by oppression and the birds must break free from it. Maya Angelou and Paul Laurence Dunbar use the central symbols of the free bird and the caged bird to reveal the theme of oppression. The symbols of rage and hope accompany the theme oppression.

Read More
443 Words | 2 Pages

In the two poems Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Caged Bird by Maya Angelou, gave a comparison between the life of a caged bird and the life of a slave. There are similarities and differences in the two poems. The difference between the two poem is that Sympathy is more aggressive than the poem Caged Bird, and the similarities of the two poems is the theme and imagery. The poem Sympathy the poem

Read More
700 Words | 3 Pages

Lines one through seven define the free bird as one that “floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays” (Angelou) this is a representation of freedom and joy. The second and third stanza lines, eight through fourteen defines the caged bird that “stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage” (Angelou) where these words reference isolation and despair compared to the freedom in stanza one. These lines create a visual response of the bird’s environments. The third stanza is repeated at the end of the poem for prominence as it reflects the two birds are so different.

Read More
1215 Words | 5 Pages

In the poems “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou, both portray captive birds that sing. However in “Sympathy”, the bird pleads with god for freedom, whereas in “Caged Bird” the captive bird calls for help from a free bird. In “Sympathy” the bird knows what freedom feels like since there was a time where the bird was once free, but now is trapped. In the first stanza the use of imagery revealed how freedom felt before the bird was caged.

Read More

More about Analysis Of Marrysong And Caged Bird

Related Topics

Open Document