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Maya Angelou (4 April 1928)
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and is tune is heard
on the distant hill for the caged bird
sings of freedom
The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Read poems about / on: freedom, sky, sun, wind, dream, tree
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Maya - a natural poet. Full of insight in the common things that make sense to all. This poem reminds me of the type of songs that lie in the hearts of bondmen and bondwomen, its quite a song of hunger for liberty. Kudos my poet
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
..........................nice!
easy to read and understand such pure simplicity i love this poem.
Very nice. It's nice to come across poems that you can grasp easily no fancy wording or anything. Anyone can understand and make their own meaning of them
I thought I saw a pussy cat..
Day goes on and on as this little bird can only lay down and cry
'Cause his wings are clipped and he's caged but he was born to fly
Kept under lock and key his freedom denied
What can he do with so many rules he must abide
Nowhere to go and nowhere to hide
When there's a four walled cage stopping your flight
How can it be that the caged bird still sings
How can its days have so much reason with such dark surroundings
For the song is sad and the caged bird is scared
Once it was the cage but soon it was the outside it feared..
Caged and silent sits the beautiful songbird,
For he knows his song will never be heard,
Drowned out by the caws of ravenous crows,
Whose dreadful cacophony simply grows and grows......
.......................as a tribute to the beautifully plaintive words of.Maya in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
I love this poem.It's a sad poem that tugs at my heartstrings.I reckon that it wants to manifest freedom and how it is worth like a king's ransom for human beings.Freedom and liberty are twin pillars on which the theme of this poem is built on.
The people who keep their opinions to themselves, and don't try for the best for themselves will get nothing out of life, the people who strive for better and say what they think and how they feel will get the best that life has to offer to them.
I really luv dis poem...it makes me appreciate Freedom
3rd stanza needs an edit...
~***~
On the distant hill
For the caged bird
Sings of freedom
~***~
But lovely poem anyways :)