Week 1 Discussion - Caged Bird

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Our first discussion is “The Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou.

Angelou is widely considered one of the greatest poets of modern times. She was a passionate member of the civil rights movement in the USA and wrote poems and memoirs about her life and experiences as an African American Woman. Fun fact: she used to shut herself away in a hotel room everyday to write in peace.

Click here to read her poem “Caged Bird”. This poem is written in free verse so it doesn’t fit a particular poetic form (like a sonnet) but it does use rhyme and repetition for emphasis and flow.


Feel free to share any thoughts you had while reading: how the poem made you feel, any lines that stood out or what it made you think of. You can also discuss the technical elements of the poem, like themes, images, the meter and the way the poet uses language. If someone else has said something that you find interesting, you should definitely respond to them – this is a discussion, after all.

Providing what you share is respectful and HOL-appropriate, it’s completely up to you!

Your response should be at least 80 words long for full credit and must be written in your own words. While quoting from the poem is absolutely fine, you do need to write 80 words of your own content along with the quotes.

Post your responses below by 23:59 HOL-time on the 20th of August to earn 20 beans!

[Elizabeth Hermione]

It was a really sad poem in my opinion. I had to read this twice to understand what it really meant. This poem really says about our life. It shows about racism and bullying. Many kids these days get bullied for their skin colours or the way they speak, dress etc. So the kids who get bullied feel like they are caged because some are really sensitive and might not be able to stand up for themselves This shows in these lines "his wings are clipped and his feet are really tired". And the people who don't get bullied or are the ones who bully other people are really the free birds because they don't have any kind of those issues. This shows in the lines " and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky." We can learn a lot from this poem and I hope bullying and racism will reduce in the future. If you get bullied, here is a quote that I learned a lot from " Bullying is a horrible thing. It sticks with you forever. It poisons you. But only if you let it.

[Katherine Laurier]

This poem talks about unequal rights in a wonderfully delicate way. It talks about how some people get to be free while others are limited, a decision mostly based on one's skin color. In reality, they should truly be proud of it, and besides that, who you are and what you look like does not change the fact you should be treated the same as others. It's truly sad how this is very normalized in the society and people are quick to judge and believe unfortunate stereotypes. And still the caged bird sings, using its voice and longing for the same freedom and rights as others. Maya Angelou shared the message in such a beautifully metaphorical way.

LOVE that quote, Elizabeth!!

[Anne-Marie Gagne]

“Caged Bird” gives off such a sad and lonely feel when you read it but the rhythm that I read it in is song-like. I’m not too well versed in the meters in poems but when I read the poem, the way it’s read in my head (and out loud) is a bop-bop-bop-BOP. Like someone hopping along before doing a big jump in the air for each line. Maybe a better analogy would be like someone pressing a key staccato on a piano with a normal press of the note at the end of a 4/4 measure. (I do not think I am describing this quite right but I hope someone does understand what I’m trying to say.)

The compare and contrast of the free bird versus the caged bird is very much a metaphor for systematic racism that people of color suffer. Especially in regards to the justice system but also in just everyday things. It’s also a great commentary on privileges given to men versus women, and even more when race is involved as well.

One who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community (especially people in the trans community) can also relate to this poem in the way that coming out for a person is always a risk, whether the risk comes from family or from random people you have never met. Being a cisgender, straight, white man will always have more privileges given to them than someone who is not one or more of those.

This poem is so very good.

[Janne Halla]

I see a lot of myself in this poem. In the poem, Angelou vividly describes the contrasting experiences of two birds: one is free and soars in the open sky, while the other is trapped in a cage, unable to experience the same sense of liberation. In my belief, the poem symbolizes the struggle against oppression, inequality, and the desire for personal autonomy.

I liken this theme to my experience as someone who is deaf. Being deaf can sometimes feel like being confined in a cage of silence. Deaf individuals often face communication barriers in a world that predominantly relies on spoken language. Just as the caged bird longs to sing and fly freely, deaf individuals yearn to communicate and connect with others without hindrance.