Preview

Analysis of "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
476 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Analysis of "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is an utmost bona fide, descriptive memoir. This piece has a vast amount of stylistic devices that draw attention to the theme of Angelou's autobiography. When summoned together, these devices add up and make up beautiful life story.

Just as a sweetly sung melody dances through the wind, Maya Angelou's style flows fluently throughout her writing in her autobiographical piece, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". As the silent listener lets the tune seep into their ears, one begins to notice each individual note. The consistent style of lively imagery exemplifies and enhances the intention of Angelou. "The sweet scent of vanilla had met us as she opened the door." This quote stated in Ch. 15 gives the reader a most fluent, descriptive picture of this particular scene. This whimsical array of harmony and notes strike a chord inside the heart of the listener.

In addition to imagery, personification is another key ingredient to an expressive memoir. It not only rectifies the piece as meaningful, but also adds significance and enthusiasm. It allows the reader to relate and become more enthusiastic in what they're reading, and compares two inanimate objects and ideas in the most auspicious way. "I had strained myself so successfully through the years to display interest, or at least attention, while my mind skipped free on other subjects." With such words, the reader can only create such a vivid picture in mind of what daunt situation Angelou is going through.

Following personification, tone is another significant literary element to this autobiographical piece. Tone adds emotion, and gives the reader access to what Maya is feeling without having a biased opinion. With tone comes description and expression, which make the book of more interest to the reader. Without this element, the autobiography would be arduous to comprehend without being bored. The respectful tone combined with the style of Angelou mute out all other distractions

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    ‘I know why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou is an interesting, one of the most classic African American novel I have ever come across. While reading the novel, in the narration of the female child protagonist, the most distinct feature of the novel was its color imagery.…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Maya Angelou describes her life as a young awkward black girl in the American South during the 1930s and subsequently in California during the 1940s. when Maya is only three her parents divorce and ship Maya and her older brother, Bailey, to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, in rural Stamps, Arkansas. Annie, who Maya and Bailey call Momma, runs the only store in the black section of Stamps and becomes the central moral figure in Maya’s childhood. It is actually interesting how much clout she has in the town for a black woman.…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is often said that every man is born equal. I disagree, however, some are born into more luxurious lives, some are born disabled with no way to recover, and some are born with a special “ticket” through life called talent. In fact, the only time that we are truly equal is in death. No one gets to buy, run, swim, jump, or debate their way out of death. This is a fact shown clearly to the reader in Maya Angelou’s book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings in Chapter 26 when she states, “... and all the way I communed with death’s angels, questioning their choice of time, place, and person”, (page 163). I learned something from her quote that I can relate to my real life as well. We may not be able to escape death, and neither can those around us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do great things that will leave behind a legacy in this world. I can’t say that I immediately moved forward after the incident, but I did manage to do great things that year despite the tragedy that occurred.…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Maya is scared for life and is led to believe that the very sound of her voice…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ball, Jane L. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings." Masterplots, Fourth Edition. 2010. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 April 2012.…

    • 1402 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Meanest Influence

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the autobiography of Maya Angelou’s life. She tells the story of her life in Stamps, Arkansas as well as her life moving from place to place. She deals with many problems including prejudice in many forms. Because of this prejudice, Maya must deal with the extremely influential actions of segregation, racism, and sexism.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. Print.…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    References: Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969.…

    • 2750 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Characterization is a physical description of a character, the way the character acts and the personality traits of the character. Bailey Johnson Jr. is the older brother of Marguerite Ann Johnson, the protagonist of the novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. In order for Maya to become independent, she needs to separate from Bailey. Their original relationship was holding her back. Bailey is described in the book as a bright, clever and light-spirited person. Maya needs to separate from Bailey because she relies on him to fight her battles. He is also a “God-like” figure to her, which is an unhealthy obsession. Bailey also keeps Maya from believing in herself because Maya puts too much faith in him.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Journal

    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the chapter 15 as we call Sister Flowers from How the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, allows us the readers to experience the day with Margareute Johnson through her writing style as if we were experiencing it through her eyes and deep inside her thoughts. Her use of imagery, metaphors, similes and narration helps us paint and imagine a vivid picture in our own minds. Just like when Angelou is describing Sister Flowers, “Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged . . .” Her use of a simile comparing a plum helps us imagine the details such as being smooth, soft, and shiny, just as she saw Sister Flower’s dark black skin. Her use of imagery helps us experience things she saw, the smells she smelt, as if we were right there experiencing it with her. “The sweet scent of vanilla had met us as she opened the door.” As we read this we can in our heads invent in our minds how Sister Flowers house smelled like vanilla, as she was about to step into her house. Angelou gets us thinking that Sister Flowers had probably just got done baking. “They were flat round wagers, slightly browned on the edges and butter-yellow in the center.” Angelou already gave us her sense of smell, now she is using imagery to describe her sense of sight of the cookies that Sister Flowers just baked especially for Margareute. Now she is getting our mouths watering for some of Sister Flower’s cookies.…

    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings showcases events of a girl that loses her voice when a man raped her therefore the future actions of the eight year old are affected by the early actions. The song “I am a Rock” glimpses at the reality that Maya faced, from a day glaring out a window alone, to building walls from the outside, likewise creating a safe space in Stamps, Arkansas where she feels the most family ties. Left unaccompanied, Bailey finds the loves of his life while back in Stamp, as reality sets in the young boy finds out that the older Joyce plans to jump onto a train and leave her life behind unless Bailey wishes to accompany her. Thus leaving Maya to bare the pain of abandonment of her own child later in life. “Gazing from my window to the streets below” Maya realized that losing her voice and remaining in the safety of her room, left the young eight year old to find her real self.…

    • 473 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Maya Angelou was a black child living with her grandmother in the American south in the 1930’s. In her autobiography “I know why the caged bird sings” she takes the reader on a journey throughout her childhood, growing up where racism towards the black people was rife.…

    • 1931 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Maya Angelou’s life was full of influential events that transformed her from a young, insecure black girl from the South, to a proud, strong, and independent African-American. She endured so much pain and many obstacles in her childhood that created a strength within herself that could not have been achieved otherwise. In comparison, my life so far has not been that difficult, I have many privileges and supportive influences in my life. The challenges that I have had seem so miniscule compared to what Maya encountered on a daily basis. In her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou reveals the story of how she grew to understand her true identity through the challenging and pivotal moments in her life including prejudice against her race, her feeling of displacement in the world, and being raped. From overcoming these struggles, Maya is able to make a friend, have pride for herself, and be hopeful for the future.…

    • 1543 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    I Know Why The Caged Bird

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Caged Bird Children endeavor clashes when finding their personal place in society. When a child is grinded down by their family, or the dominant culture, the road to achieving self-identity is accompanied with enormous obstacles to overcome. Maya Angelou’s amazing and enthralling experiences in “ I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” show her hard life growing up as a black girl from the South during the 1930s. Among the hardships are things known as "cages". "…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cultural Desire

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: Angelou, M. (1969). I know why the caged bird sings. New York: Random House.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays