A Book Review by Roohi Kapur This book was taken up for reading & discussion in Reflections: The Gnostic Centre’s Book Forum, facilitated by Roohi Kapur

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was written in 1969 by Maya Angelou. You might have
heard of her. She recited poetry at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, and dominated the New
York Times Bestseller list for two years.
It is a personal account told in the voice of a child cleverly reconstructed by an
adult narrator. Through the observations of Maya, the child, comes a coming-of-age
story - a social record of a young black female growing up in the 1930s. As an historical
document ‘Caged Bird’ covers the bigotry, cruelty, oppression and the constant threat of
death that constituted daily life in the South.
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.
Theautobiographyisalsoarepresentationthatcanbereadasafeministobservation.
The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at
the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white
illogical hate and Black lack of power. Maya was fortunate to have the unbending support
from strong, financially independent, no-nonsense women like Momma (her paternal
grandmother) who owned land and a grocery business, her mother Vivian who owned
a gambling hall, and even her politically well-placed, octoroon maternal grandmother
Baxter: all whose convictions not to be dependent on men, provided Maya with the
foundation on which to build her self-assurance.
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.
More significantly, after the violent traumatic and pivotal experience of her young
life from which she ‘loses’ her speech, we are reminded that abject struggle often precedes
success; it is through her strong willed teacher, Mrs. Flowers, that Maya finds confidence,
self worth and retrieves from imprisonment her voice. The last part of Maya’s journey
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
A Book Review by Roohi Kapur
This book was taken up for reading & discussion in Reflections: The Gnostic Centre’s Book
Forum, facilitated by Roohi Kapur
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
A Book Review by Roohi Kapur
This book was taken up for reading & discussion in Reflections: The Gnostic Centre’s Book
Forum, facilitated by Roohi Kapur

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through adolescence is poignant in
the mother/daughter/infant visual,
and although she is still uncertain
and insecure, she receives the
promise of maturity: Mother
whispered, “See, you don’t have to
think about doing the right thing. If
you’re for the right thing, then you
do it without thinking.”
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.
Maya Angelou eloquently
articulated how the painful
struggles and scattered happy
experiences of growing up in the
South had a significant role in the
shaping of the gifted, outspoken,
determined, inspirational person
she became.
A 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.
I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings is the first in the magnificent
six-volume autobiography of Maya
Angelou (April 1928-May 2014):
a poet, author, civil rights activist,
professor, feminist. A brilliant
achievement, I highly recommend.
My copy is from The Collected
Autobiographies of Maya Angelou.
- Roohi Kapur
Caged Bird
by Maya Angelou
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
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.