I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, first published in 1969, is the first book by Maya Angelou that I’ve read. I feel like this is the kind of book that should be compulsory reading: Angelou’s memoirs are beautifully written, poignant and historically significant. I was mesmerized by her voice throughout the book, which I couldn’t put down. As far as memoirs go, I often find that while the person might be fascinating, the writing can be somewhat dry or impersonal (of course, that’s more the case for biographies, less so with autobiographies.) As an artist and a poet, though, Angelou really delivers a masterful piece of work, which not only gives us a glimpse into the complex life of a black woman growing up in the American South before the civil rights movement, but also tells the universal story of the difficulty of childhood suffering and the challenges of being “different”.

Angelou grew up with her grandmother and brother in Stamps, Arkansas. A small town girl with a small town world view, her world is turned upside down with the arrival of her long lost mother. I won’t tell the story, because anything I write here can never match the way in which Angelou tells her own story. What I thought was particularly wonderful about her memoirs, is that she writes them from her older, wiser adult perspective with all of the awareness and prescience that only comes with age and hindsight.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is also a tribute to the power of education. As a firm believer in the importance of education, I thought Angelou’s description of her “salvation” through learning was both compelling and moving. Given how many trials and tribulations she experiences, she always seems to put herself on the right track through thoughtful introspection, action and taking matters into her own hands. As a woman, she is a model of strength and perseverance. As a poet and an artist, she is inspiring and poignant. As an African-American struggling with prejudice, injustice and societal constraints, she is an example of resilience and courage. Her memoirs are truly one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read, and I recommend it to anyone longing for a genuinely human story, with all the flaws, complexities, emotions that constitute life.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a poem by Maya Angelou

The free bird leaps
on the back of the win
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 hillfor 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.