Caged Bird Poem by Maya Angelou PDF

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation 10/31/21, 7:30 PM Caged Bird BY MAYA A N G E LOU 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 nar...

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation 10/31/21, 7:30 PM Caged Bird BY MAYA A N G E LOU 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 https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird Page 1 of 3 Caged Bird by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation 10/31/21, 7:30 PM 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. Maya Angelou, “Caged Bird” from Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? Copyright © 1983 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. Source: The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (Random House Inc., 1994) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird Page 2 of 3 Caged Bird by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation 10/31/21, 7:30 PM CONTACT US NEWSLETTERS PRESS PRIVACY POLICY POLICIES TERMS OF USE POETRY MOBILE APP 61 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60654 Hours: Monday-Friday 11am - 4pm © 2021 Poetry Foundation https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48989/caged-bird Page 3 of 3