I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

MAYA ANGELO

UAmzar, Arif, Al Hafiz, Wafi, Alif

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BIOGRAPHY Born as marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, on April 4, 1928.

An author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, singer, performer, African-american activist, and civil rights activist.

In 1959, at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou became the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

1961 to 1962 she was associate editor of The Arab Observer in Cairo, Egypt, the only English-language news weekly in the Middle East, and from 1964 to 1966 she was feature editor of the African Review in Accra, Ghana.

She returned to the U.S. in 1974 and was appointed by Gerald Ford to the Bicentennial Commission and later by Jimmy Carter to the Commission for International Woman of the Year.

Had produced books like All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), The Heart of a Woman (1981), Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1976), Gather Together in My Name (1974), and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969).

Her books were focused mainly on identity, family and racism.

In 1993, Angelou wrote and delivered a poem, "On the Pulse of the Morning," at the inauguration for President Bill Clinton at his request.

The first black woman director in Hollywood, Angelou has written, produced, directed, and starred in productions for stage, film, and television.

Maya Angelou was twice nominated for a Tony award for acting: once for her Broadway debut in Look Away (1973), and again for her performance in Roots (1977).

MAJOR AWARD & NOMINATIONS National Book Award nomination for I Know Why

the Caged Bird Sings Pulitzer Prize nomination for her book of

poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie

 Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1973 play Look Away

In 1995, Angelou was recognized by her publishing company, Bantam Books, for having the longest-running record (two years) on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller List

 Awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000 & Lincoln Medal in 2008

THEMERacism and Segregation This poem is a representation of the racism

and oppression that people still face in this day and age. It goes on to portray the importance of hope and freedom for anybody to live. The line "But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreamshis shadow shouts on a nightmare scream" demonstrates a resignation to fighting, because the caged bird is losing hope. His screams for help are now hollow echoes because long neglect and abuse has broken his heart

POETIC DEVICES

Symbol• Bird in the cage

- A person that is timid and afraid to do things• The fat worms and breeze

- Hope and opportunity• Free bird

- The people that is dare and brave to- take risks.- The writer portrays the free bird as

more of a dare devilEVIDENCE : and clips his wings, in the orange sun rays, and dares to claims the sky.

Personification

• Sighing trees• Shadow shouts

Metaphor• The grave of dreams• Sings of freedom• Use of figurative and extended metaphor• She is comparing a bird trapped in a cage to slavery and the pain of the freedom• The song the bird sings represents the plea of freedom• The poet relates to the feeling of bird, as his parents were once slaves

Imagery• Expressing his feelings here, the poem is lyrical• The third stanza emphasizes how desperate the bird truly is• The bird sings a prayer not of joy or glee, but of prayer to heaven

Repetition• But• SENTENCE REPETITION

- So he opens his throat to sing

Alliteration & Assonance

ALLITERATION• An the trade winds soft through the sighing trees ASSONANCE• And the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright

lawn and he names the sky his own

ISSUE RAISED Angelou could have been just another

casualty of race prejudice Yet, by using her intelligence,

sensitivity, and determination, she succeeds in spite of the odds against her

By writing with such power, she makes us share her defeats and joys

She also teaches us a vital lesson with strength and persistence, we can escape our cages and sing our song

RHYME SCHEME First stanza : abcbdef Second stanza : abcbdef Third stanza : abcbdde Forth stanza : aabc Fifth stanza : abcd Sixth stanza : abcbdbde

THE END