What are Connotations and Denotations? Explain with reference to the poem ‘ I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.’

The title of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is derived from Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy.” In this poem Dunbar tells the story of a caged bird that wants to reach the beauty of the outside world but is trapped within “cruel bars.” The bird beats its wings against the bars in an attempt to escape, but the bars are too strong. All the bird can do is sing a prayer towards Heaven, a prayer that expresses its desire for freedom. The story of the caged bird is an allegory for the situation Maya finds her in. She wants access to all of the opportunities and choices of the wider world, but racism and white supremacy prevents her from reaching them. They are Maya’s bars, or the cage that keeps her imprisoned. The song or prayer that Maya flings up to Heaven is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings itself. It is Angelou’s way of achieving freedom. With Caged Bird Angelou became one of the first Black women to center herself in her own writings. She has broken the bars of her cage, and has gained access to the opportunities and choices that white writers enjoy.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings