As seen in many poems or poetic texts, there is in "Caged Bird" the use of figurative language, with connotative meaning so that there is a subjective message under the text that must be analyzed under its' context.
The figurative language is a writers' resource for expressing feelings and <u>amplifying the meaning of words</u>.
Let's read an excerpt of Maya Angelou's "Caged Bird"
:
<em>"The free bird thinks of another breeze
</em>
<em>and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
</em>
<em>and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
</em>
<em>and he names the sky his own
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams </em>
<em>his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream </em>
<em>his wings are clipped and his feet are tied </em>
<em>so he opens his throat to sing.
</em>
<em>
</em>
<em>The caged bird sings </em>
<em>with a fearful trill </em>
<em>of things unknown </em>
<em>but longed for still </em>
<em>and his tune is heard </em>
<em>on the distant hill </em>
<em>for the caged bird </em>
<em>sings of freedom"
</em>
With comparing the two birds, we can see how the birds can be a representative symbol of people under different types of life situations, being the caged one a symbol of someone restricted of freedom, wanting their voices to be heard (or needing their rights to be granted, as well).
