understanding the poem caged bird and why the caged bird sings?

Question

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns 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

Answer 1

The free bird is living it up, enjoying his freedom, audaciously thinking the world belongs to him. He does not know what he has and does not value it entirely; he thinks it is his right in life to be free. But the caged bird is focused entirely on what he doesn´t have: freedom. He cannot fly, so he sings, and his song tells you more about freedom than the free bird´s song ever would.

The poem´s title is "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings". "I know why" because Maya Angelou understands the plight of the un-free. She herself is a singing bird, a writer and poet, who´s song grew out of the desperation of being born a poor black girl in the South early last century. So this poem can also be seen as a comment on the life of the black man in the U.S in general.

Answer 2

It's about the dream of attaining freedom from oppression - the only thing the bird with clipped wings and tethered feet can do is sing.

Answer 3

I think like the caged bird, we are sometimes caged in our lives feeling trapped. We were born to survive and long for freedom, to be released from our entrapment of fear caused by broken trust.