Caged Bird


1

• II Imagery
• Free bird Metaphor dips his wings in the
  suns orange rays color orange suggests the
  warmness of the suns rays / the word dip
  suggest a light swift and free movement
• Vocabulary a free bird leaps leaps
  suggests a joyful and happy movement
• -Caged Bird
• Metaphor bars of rage the caged bird turns
  his anger at the cage which he blames for his
  captivity and sadness
• Vocabulary a bird that stalks as opposed to
  the free bird leaping the caged bird stalks
  suggests a clumsy sad and desperate movement
• Metaphor grave of dreams the caged bird is
  said to stand on the grave of dreams his cage
  is a limit to his dreams their end their
  grave
• Visual image his wings are clipped and his
  feet are tied emphasizes on the harshness of
  the birds life creating a strong image in the
  readers mind

III Setting Themes Written by Maya Angelou a
black female writer in the 50s this poem
denounces segregation of black people at that
time. This poem shows the situation of the black
people disadvantaged secluded not accepted
within the US. Its aim is to change the situation
by denouncing it.

• IV Techniques used
• The techniques Maya Angelou uses to convey her
  political message and to convince
• Comparison between free bird and caged bird
  stronger feeling of injustice than if only the
  caged bird was described makes free birds
  happiness almost insolent
• Small stanzas almost regular rhythm refrain
  a sense of repetition gives an ironical sense
  of banality to the poems apparent signification
  while the hidden meaning is extremely important.
  Seems like a song contradictory to Angelous
  goal. Emphasizes the effect of surprise and the
  shock it produces on the reader.

I Structure 6 stanzas (7/7/8/4/4/8 lines) 3rd
and 6th stanzas exactly similar a refrain
Black people sang songs to forget their
pain Structure which repeats itself things will
never change. RHYMES almost none exception
2nd 4th and 6th lines in stanzas 3 and 6.
Caged Bird

• V Links to other studied poems Carpet Weavers
  lack of freedom
• Song to the Men of England both poems denounce
  an injustice within a society (in Song to the Men
  of England inegality between workers / peasants
  and nobles / aristocracy is denounced)
• Spectator ab Extra again an injustice is
  denounced (the same as in Song to the Men of
  England through irony this time)

2
IMAGES He remembers his schooldays When he was
a child joyful tells us it was happy time for
him I have had tells us they are now
over He also remembers a woman closed are her
doors the Closed doors represent the end Of
the relationship. Note use of Inversion to
emphasise the word closed. fairest
shows his love for her Use of a superlative to
emphasise her beauty ghost-like simile to
compare his life now as if he were dead
memories haunt him. He revisits old places in
order to try and have happy memories Again
Earth is a desert metaphor to show that his
life seems barren and hostile unwelcoming to
him.
Structure 7 stanzas 3 lines each and a refrain
SETTING 19th century poem Individual experience
strong emotions and feelings Past memories
Techniques All All the old familiar faces
a refrain This repetition creates a mournful
tone.
The Old Familiar Faces
Links Memories of childhood teenage times
(first two stanzas) Links with Famhand and Little
Boy Crying Life cycle from childhood to death
is linked with Plenty And Rising Five Missing
people around him is linked with Plenty Memories
of first love She dwelt and Muliebrity Reference
s to nature Before the Sun
3
Structure 1 stanza 18 lines no rhyme Repetitive
I have thought adds to sense of
melancholy 1-4 memory thinks of what
she saw 5-6 description of the girls
moves 7-12 description of the smells 13-14 girl
inspires poet BUT she wont use her as a
metaphor 15-18 how happy she is to find the dung
IMAGES Visual the way she moved her hands and
her waist like a dance Images which appeal to
smell freshly washed clothes road-dust
cow dung monkey breath wet canna lilies
Muliebrity
Techniques Repetition I have thought so much
about the girl shows how insistent the memory
is. Smells repetition of smell and
contrasting smells like monkey breath and
lilies . Both pleasant and unpleasant. Metaphor
s girl represents India (poverty and how they
have to work hardship) She is also a metaphor
for innocence and hope as she smiles at the cow
dung Punctuation no full stops from line 5 to
end memory is uninterrupted flows
freely Dashes allow for pauses and to reflect
on the memory or image conjured up
Links Carpet Weavers similarities are poverty
child labour difficult working
conditions. Sense of hope (paradise in carpet)
here girl smiles No call for revolution Emphasis
on memories (link with Plenty) Caged Bird idea
of social injustice
Settings Second half of 20th century India near
temple poverty
4
Setting In a café sitting at the table A place
only for the rich at this time 19th century
class divide in England Allows us to picture this
rich character He is idle and does not seem to
work
Character thinks highly of himself proud
pleased By money self-satisfaction wants to
sound sophisticated. Repetition of I and my
shows he is self- centred. Repetition of word
money shows he is superficial Interested in
activities like eating drinking Repetition of
they emphasises the division between The
nobles/upper class and the poor / working class
Effects Use of pelf a negative derogatory
term for money Use of sneer lower class
mock him but he does not care about their
reaction Use of throw a crust disrespect and
he does not want to touch them it compares them
to animals Repetition of the refrain Heigh ho
makes the poem sound light-hearted but
contrasts with serious nature Simple rhyme scheme
adds to sense of a light-hearted song
From Spectator Ab Extra
Didactic Role Teaches us a moral lesson Creates a
rich character to shock and repulse us to
question such a society which allows a
divide Denounces arrogance of rich people
criticises gap between classes Use of an I
character allows us to get closer to him and
inside his mind Makes us ask ourselves if we are
like him or not.
The watcher from outside.
5
Setting Forest England untrodden Ways and
by the springs of Dove Natural
setting Romantic Movement the loss of a
loved one and description of personal feelings
Techniques Exclamations oh in stanza 3
sound of sadness at what he has lost the
difference to me! personal loss and the
exclamation shows how much it means to
him. Caesura in stanza 2 makes us stop and
think about how beautiful she is Lexical field
of loneliness unknown few could know
untrodden ways none to praise adds to
sense of her being alone and isolated
Structure 3 stanzas 4 Lines and ABAB rhyme
scheme simplicity of the structure contrasts
with authors complex feelings. Wants to express
a pure feeling of love simple poem
reflects that purity.
She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways
Links Mid-Term Break discovery of death at the
end of the poem Innoncence of brother Point of
view is child here it is an adult Farmhand
both misunderstood him by women Lucy by
society Loneliness close to nature Before the
Sun links to nature Innocence Mention of
death boy is lonely as he talks to the
sun Romantic poems personal loss and feelings
Images Metaphor a violet by a mossy stone /
Half hidden from the eye Mossy stone people or
society Violet Lucy her beauty and the fact
she is different being by the Stone makes her
stand out even more Half-hidden makes us
realise she is special / she was shy / wild A
violet flower / nature / purity / innocence /
fragile Simile fair as a star extraordinary
/ something rare / to be looked at
6
Images assorted heights would make a
melodious chime (metaphor) compared to bells
Emphasises different ages of children school
of days factory life is compared to a school
ironic as they probably do not have the chance
to go to school Garden of Islam carpet and
image of a Better life / paradise Simile they
watch their flickering knots like television
reflects speed of their work Ironic as they do
not have televisions Garden of Islam grows
the loom of another world reference to
another world and idea of a frustrated childhood
Setting 20th century factory in Morocco
Contemporary problem Story of child labour and
theme of exploitation Structure 4 stanzas 3
lines each no rhyme scheme Suggests a rigidity
in the structure reflects the rigidity of
childrens work
Carpet Weavers Morocco
Contrast idea of the carpets which will travel in
the merchants truck and end up in the mosque
whereas the children making it will not have the
chance to travel.
Links Muliebrity theme of child labour (note
in this poem only one girl) Foreign setting
Morocco and India Muliebrity seems to be more
optimistic in this poem no sense of positive
change to come Song to the Men of England
workers difficult lives BUT in 19th century and
concerns adults calls for change and
revolution
7
Images Metaphor settle down in showers on
the Dewy grass chips are compared to rain
shows their graceful movement / abundant as
well Long sentences for some distance through
the air mirrors the long movement of the
chips Lexical field of religion prayers
spiral of smoke sacrificial shows his respect
for nature and for the sun
Structure Stanza 12 cutting wood 4-6 making
afire 7-9 cooking corn and eating Setting Zimb
abwe 20th century Poet farmers son Respect
for nature Nostalgia for a lost time when man /
nature were closer
Techniques Powerful adjectives intense blue
morning day starts beautifully / metaphor for
life which hides difficulties (the rain) big
log he wants to be like an adult Metaphor
for adulthood / body changing Personification
the wood hisses and the sparks fly
emphasises the way they move their speed
graceful The sun as if sun was alive winks
and I tell the sun and winks like a grown
up boy feels linked to the sun / has
great respect for it Sun is also invited to a
feast and offered a prayer
Before the Sun
Themes Life cycle / passing of time / a day
Rising Five Relationship between humans and
nature Farmhand Sense of harmony and respect
till the cobs are just two little skeletons
metaphor for death of that way of life
8
Links Social classes links with role of women
and jobs they do Plenty Idea of personal
achievement she is good at telling stories just
as the Farmhand is good at farming To tell the
stories was her work. Muliebrity women working
and the pleasure they take from their work even
when it is difficult
Men/Women useless male viewpoint versus
womens view that these stories
were useful Womens work busy in the kitchen
verbs scoured and swept andstitched corn.
Techniques Enjambment - creates pauses Held /
breath mirrors the way in which they held their
breath and so shows suspense Onomatopoeia
tongue clacked mirrors sound of tongues
moving and noise they make spinning simile
of telling tales and spinning cloth both
creative add to them build them up Colour
thin grey washed over the fields visual image
of dull colours of day after excitement at
night Metaphor bats for the stories shows
how stories came alive at night were also
frightening / Fascinating Sibilance s sound
repeated the buzz of the background noise and
of people talking Contrast day and night Day
household chores seems Miserable Night
relaxed shared moment joy
Storyteller
Setting Scotland 20th century Womans point
of view and domain the kitchen Lower class
society Structure 4 stanzas no regular rhyme
scheme Irregularity mirrors the way the stories
grow and are unstructured - reflects free
flowing speech not Controlled.
9
Images Simile He lay in the four foot box as
in his cot compares coffin / cot and it
makes it seem as if hes sleeping / at
peace Shocking as it reminds us he should be
asleep like a baby not dead Personification
whisper highlights the fact that these are
anonymous voices emphasises his feelings of
isolation poppy bruise metaphor which appeals
to sense of colour it is a flower which is
linked to remembrance
Links Little Boy Crying child discovering
the difficulties of life from innocence to
experience Childs viewpoint Rising Five
portrayal of a child mortality She dwelt
pain of losing someone poem which dwells of
personal feelings
Mid-Term Break
Techniques First person narrative a childs
viewpoint Alliteration classes to a close
makes the word close stand out sense of
something ending s sound creates a soft and
peaceful almost hushing sound sad
atmosphere Euphemism for death heavy blow and
my trouble adults find it hard to
say Contrast adults who cry and suffer and
baby who cooed and laughed - innocent
Structure 7 stanzas of three lines and 1 extra
line which stands alone emphasises shock ending
that the boy who is dead is just 4 Setting 20th
century Ireland School / home / bedroom
intimate
10
Interpretations The last stanza stands alone as
if the author wanted to teach us a lesson. a)
Dont use your tears to use your father b) Dont
mess around in the rain or youll get slapped c)
Dont mistreat your child dont ignore his
tears shows the ambiguity of the ending and
different interpretations.
Themes Relationship between adults and children
Mid-Term Break it explores diverse
expressions of grief and sadness after the death
of a child. A childs viewpoint Plenty the
author understands reasons for her
mothers Behaviour when she was younger.

• Techniques
• Monosyllabic words stanza 1 the quick
• slap struck imitates the rhythm of the father
• hitting his child
• b) Use of verbs in continuous form verbs in ing
• swimming splashing and angling it makes
• the reader feel the scene is unfolding before his
• Eyes
• c) Use of you it suggests a universal
• experience for all adults and children it makes
• the reader feel involved in the scene OR it seems
• to be a dialogue between the poet and the
• reader.
• Boys feelings of anger towards his father are
• Created by the following
• Onomatopoeia chopping emphasises the
• violence of the action.
• Caesura you hate him. draws attention to
  those
• words. We pause and consider the boys feelings.

Little Boy Crying
Images In stanza 2 reference to fairytale Jack
and the Beanstalk used to show how the boy
feels. He sees his father as the ogre in the
story. Lexical field of height giant ogre
colossal and towers to show how mean and
horrible The child feels the father is and to
show that the child presents himself as the
innocent one. Feelings expressed through a
fairytale. Metaphor stanza 3 the mask nor
guess the wavering hidden behind that mask. He
has to pretend to be strict and firm.
11
Techniques Lists aspirin porridge petrol
bread shows that everything was dear and
counted Tub pocked like skin so personified
which shows it is old. Smile a clasp
compared to the fastener on a bag her need to
keep a control on her emotions not allow her
fear and worries to show Her lips stretched back
and anchored down this emphasises the control
on her face her tight look the showers a hot
cascade emphasises the abundance of water and
contrasts with the past drought
Structure 8 stanzas 4 lines Repetitive
structure mirrors the life of the family Stanza
1 When I was young takes us back in time.
First 6 stanzas describe this childhood where
she did not understand. Stanza 7 and 8 today.
She now understands better and misses her
family my scattered sisters.
Plenty
Similarities Old Familiar Faces idea
of memories and thinking of old times missing
people Link with childhood here she does not
realise at the time why her mother behaves like
this gap between Parents / children same can
be found in Mid-Term Break as boy does not
know what is happening.
Born in 1969 in South Africa and brought up in
Karoo grasslands area which is a dry area.Winter
is nearly completely dry.
12
Techniques Imperative watch him orders us
to admire him Onomatopoeia Ah word which
suggests the admiration we should feel for
him Use of adjectives effortless strong
emphasises his physical prowess and how good he
is at his job Simile like a lover to the song
shows the close relationship he has with his
tractor Dash/hyphen wants us to stop
and admire the farmer. Metaphors the earth
wave breaking as the earth is turned it is
compared to the waves creates a visual
image An open wound suggests a painful memory
which has not healed
Structure 5 stanzas - 4 lines each No regular
rhyme scheme First 4 stanzas describe this
awkward man. Last stanza change in tone as we
are told to look differently at this man and
admire him at work.
Farmhand
Description of the farmer He smokes tells
jokes seems careless Hairy hands red face
suggests Someone who works outdoors and who is
manly crops slow-growing as his mind does
this mind he is simple-minded slow to react
uneducated Seems more at ease with his tractors
than with girls only looks at them. Has hopes
and dreams but these are awkward and envious.
Links Muliebrity someone who takes pride
in his work like the young girl. Contrast
with how masculinity is portrayed here
and femininity in Muliebrity. Description of one
character as observed by another. Closeness to
nature Before the Sun
13
Links Carpet Weavers low social class Hard
working conditions social Injustice Muliebrity
hard work social Injustice low social class.
Setting 20th century Factory working class New
Zealand Voice first person narrative Ironic At
the end when he says in case an earthquake
breaks out in order to be positive. Personal
reflection see abundance of Words such as I
like or I am or I can These thoughts I push
away etc
Monologue
Images before the axe falls to be sacked a
violent image which mirrors the violence of being
sacked strangers who drift like boats on a
river suggests they arrive by accident and
perhaps in large numbers and without much hope of
finding a job.
Techniques Poetic inversion The look on the
faces of the Unlucky I know also These
thoughts I push Away draws the readers
attention to these Images shows the emotion of
the narrator places emphasis on
them Enjambment in the / summer last word
of line is emphasised pause and so makes us
think about dying. Perhaps he stops as it is too
painful to go on.
14
One of the great Romantic poets. Shelley belonged
to the aristocracy but rebelled against his
class. This poem was written in 1819. It seems
to call for the working class to rise up and
rebel against the tyranny of the landed gentry.
Techniques used in the poem Metaphors Bees
of England The workers which suggests they Do
all the work whilst the drones Reap all the
benefits. A drone is a parasite who lives Off
others. The rich are also said to drink
your Blood vampires a creature that lives
off others. Direct address wherefore and
Have ye leisure speaks to the reader and
calls for action. Stanza 5 look at use of
caesura to create a contrast between what
the workers do and who benefits. The comma shows
this division between the classes.
Song to the Men of England by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Stanzas 8 stanzas with 4 lines each. There is a
sense of mounting anger in this poem. The
questions add to this sense of fury. Note the
pessimistic ending which suggests the working
class are building their own grave And weave
your winding sheet. Called a song call to
arms A rousing hymn to rebellion. Rhyme/ Rhythm
adds to this sense of a song.
15
Themes key idea of passing of time and that we
spend our time looking to the future instead of
living for the moment. Stanza 1 little boy wants
to be older not four / But rising five.
Stanza 2 nature used to reflect the cycle of
life and the idea of things dying and then being
reborn. Stanza 3 Day turning into night. The
three stanzas can also be seen as representing
the life cycle Childhood middle age and then
death. The 4th stanza seems to be a summing up if
this main idea an Explanation of the three
metaphorical stanzas.
Techniques Simile we drop our youth Treat
life as something unimportant and dont realise
how precious it is. rot in the fruit
suggest the coming of old age. new buds and
old leaves reflects life passing Stanza 2
full of assonance Rhyme which seems to imitate
how alive nature is and growth. Look at use of
enjambment and commas not May / But
rising June. The pause and gap in the lines
may imitate the passing of time. Look at the
description of the little boy innocent child
with glasses and curly hair and mouth full
of Toffee.
Rising Five by Norman Nicholson
Born in the Lake District England. Love of
nature found in his poems. Dates 1914 - 1987