I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Today, May 28, 2014, Maya Angelou died.  She was a true renaissance woman in our day.  She described herself as a poet, a lover of the “music of language.”  As I learned more about her, I thought Philip would really admire and appreciate this woman. 

After school, I told Philip about Maya Angelou.  We did a Brain Pop lesson on her life.  Then we read one of her most famous poems.

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 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.

Lisa (Me):  What did you think of this poem?

Philip:  I liked it.  I think it is carefree that the one bird is free to fly and sow its seed somewhere it pleases.  I think the other bird is trapped by the host’s cage.  No God so needs us to enslave one another. 

 

L:  Do you think the poem is about people?

P: Y (for yes)

L:  Who is the free bird?

P:  Someone who gets to live his dreams.

L:  Who is the caged bird?

P:  I think the caged bird is the author Maya Angelou.

L:  What is the cage?

P:  The cage represents oppression by society.

L:  Can you relate to this poem?

P:  I feel like the caged bird.  I kind of feel oppressed by further longing to vear (veer) to some normalcy.  I really want to mean to make a life for myself but I cannot bc (because) I feel limited by being autistic.  I really interested in teaching about the direction autistic research should be going.  Research should go towards teaching communication, not meaningless drills.

L:  What is the cage in your case?

P:  Meaninglessness.  I think bc of misunderstandings of not speaking, autistics are many times sentenced to meaningless lives.  They restlessly mean to free themselves from the torment of silence.  It sometimes makes me so keen to reach out to shake up schools which stand in the way of progress.

L:  Why does the caged bird sing?

P:  He sings for freedom.  Songs for freedom are sang realizing the past was really tormented but there is meaning to our struggles and hope for tomorrow.

L:  What are the things longed for?

P:  Inner peace, to not be mended for autism, education like a normal kid, really good learning how to communicate.