Sympathy And Cageed Bird In Maya Angelou's Caged Bird

Being treated equally, and having equal rights as others, was a constant struggle during the 18 and 1900’s for people of color. There was no valid reason as of why they were being oppressed, resulting in riots, battling for justice. In “Caged Bird,” a poem by Maya Angelou, she creates a scene in which one bird is free, soaring wherever the bird wishes, happily. While another bird is caged, miserable, with clipped wing, tied up. In addition, written in “Sympathy,” by Paul Laurence Dunbar another highly profound poem, there is a single bird, that also is trapped, crying out for help due to it feeling depressed, and constantly beating itself up. Although, the bird in “Sympathy” and “Caged Bird” can both symbolize a variety of things, depending

The ability of flying usually represents one bird thing, freedom, and once that is taken it illustrates something big. The bird that’s trapped in “Caged Bird” had his wings clipped and was tied up showing his freedom taken from him. In the poem it states, “...see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied…” (line 11-13, Angelou). Angelou uses this incident to represent the freedom of people being taken away. The main purpose of a bird is to fly, which symbolizes freedom and independence. However, the lamentable bird in the poem gets his freedom taken, not only by being caged, but also by having clipped wings, unable to do anything. The caged bird just wants to soar as the other bird does in the ravishing scenery, and when compared it makes him even sadder. In the text is says, “The caged bird sings with fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still...” (line 15-18, Angelou). The author creates this situation to intensify how badly the bird wishes to be free, to him the world doesn’t seem ominous in any way. He doesn’t completely know what’s out there, but he does know it’s better than what he has. What he has observed is that the free life of a the bird is magnificent compared to his due to the food, environment, and most importantly, the privilege to fly wherever he wishes. The ruling skill bird are connected with is flight, which portrays freedom, and