Caged Bird [1983]
Maya Angelou (1928-)
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
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 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.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and 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.
Questions for Discussion
1. The significant difference between the two birds in the poem is that
A) one bird can sing and the other bird is silent.
B) one bird knows how to fly and the other bird does not.
C) one bird has opportunity and the other bird has been denied it.
D) one bird has held on to its dreams of flight and the other bird has not.
2. What is the speaker’s purpose in describing the two birds?
A) to portray the two birds as being similar
B) to let the reader decide which is the better bird
C) to show that one bird is not superior to the other
D) to juxtapose (contrast) the free and the caged bird
3. “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage” (stanza 2)
Which sentence below accurately describes the effect of the metaphor in the stanza above? It explains that the bird that is trapped
A) may break the bars that confine it.
B) not hope to see the outside world.
C) soon grow to accept the situation.
D) be consumed by its own anger.
4. “A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.” (stanza 1)
Which phrase is closest in meaning to the word claim?
A) to take as one’s own
B) to wish ardently for
C) to work hard for
D) to explore a new territory
5. According to the information given in the poem, the bird that stalks down its cage (stanza 2) is probably moving in which of the following ways?
A) lightly
B) grimly
C) joyously
D) indecisively
I Love the Look of Words [1993]
Popcorn leaps, popping from the floor
of a hot black skillet
and into my mouth.
Black words leap,
snapping from the white
page. Rushing into my eyes. Sliding
into my brain which gobbles them
the way my tongue and teeth
chomp the buttered popcorn.
When I have stopped reading,
ideas from the words stay stuck
in my mind, like the sweet
smell of butter perfuming my
fingers long after the popcorn
is finished.
I love the book and the look of words
the weight of ideas that popped into my mind
I love the tracks
of new thinking in my mind.
Questions for Discussion
1. What is the main idea of the poem?
A) Reading is better than eating popcorn.
B) Reading is food for the mind.
C) Words are as tasty as buttered popcorn.
D) Words are better than food.
2. The speaker would probably agree that reading books gives a person an appetite.
A) leads to writing poetry.
B) takes quite a bit of work.
C) teaches new ways of thinking.
3. In the second stanza, the speaker compares ideas to the
A) feel of books.
B) look of words.
C) smell of butter.
D) taste of popcorn.
4. Which of these words best describes the speaker’s attitude in the poem?
A) annoyed
B) enthusiastic
C) protective
D) selfish