The Caged Bird Image

Why Does It Sing To Us?

By Michael Tidbury

The Plan1. Why Birds?

2. The caged bird metaphor

3. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

4. Sympathy

5. Findings

Why Birds?The very idea of a bird is a symbol and a suggestion to the poet. A bird seems to be at the top of the scale, so vehement and intense his life. . . . The beautiful vagabonds, endowed with every grace, masters of all climes, and knowing no bounds – how many human aspirations are realised in their free, holiday-lives – and how many suggestions to the poet in their flight and song!

John Burroughs – American Naturalist and essayist

Why Birds?Burroughs Big Ideas:1. “knowing no bounds”

2. “and how many suggestions to the poet in their flight and song!”

Caged Bird Metaphor

• Birds are social animals – accustomed to life with a flock

• Cages can only be opened from the outside

SympathyI KNOW what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing

grass, And the river flows like a stream of glass; When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals-- I know what the caged bird feels!   I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would be on the bough a-swing; And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars And they pulse again with a keener sting-- I know why he beats his wing!

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, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's

deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings-- I know why the caged bird sings!

Paul Lawrence Dunbar

I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsThe free bird leaps

on the back of the windand floats downstreamtill the current endsand dips his wingsin the orange sun raysand dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalksdown his narrow cagecan seldom see throughhis bars of ragehis wings are clipped andhis feet are tiedso he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird singswith fearful trillof the things unknownbut longed for stilland is tune is heardon the distant hill for the caged birdsings of freedom

FindingsThe image can be easily skewed:1. Different Behaviours = Different

Focus2. Different Comparative = Different

Tone3. Different Era = Different ideas