I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

[suleman]

In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, the writer Maya Angelou describes her growing up as a precocious but an insecure black girl in the South America. Her autobiography is aimed to make the writer understand why even being locked in a cage, a bird still sings. Her insightful and widely varied portraiture of the African-American struggle is not only a demonstration of history, but also of the problems and dilemmas faced by a young girl during that time period.

In my view, this quote is the most important regarding racism and sums it all. It explains not only black people, but a black female in young age and the hate and prejudice. It includes the negative word used by the white for the black “Negro”. Furthermore, it also shows the resistance showed by the white and their surprise in the event of success for the black.

“Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason”.

She also concludes that the character of black women should be viewed as an outcome of constant and hard struggle. Many black women perish on the way. However the women left who have endured the storm of racism and sexism will outshine and succeed. Since they have survived a tyranny, hence they should be the survivors.

Has anyone else read this book? Is yes, please share your point of view.

 

[Seeker Best]

'I Know why the Caged Bird Sings' is one of the poems I have read by African authors that I cannot forget. The poet uses the antithetical images of two birds, the free one and the caged one, to depict the misery of Africans who have been caused to suffer suffer limitation in life because of what God has created them to look like.

The style of the poet is simple and very easy to comprehend. You can rarely do find a better poem that handle such a serious matter in a gentle womanly manner.

 

[jtribbett1]

I loved this book. She writes in such a graceful way but it really packs a punch. I am in awe of all of her work because she is able to capture the black experience in a way that I don't think any other author has done before. She resonates with black folks across generations. I refer to her as my mentor because I've learned so much about myself just reading her work. She was a powerful woman and was a gift to us all. I'm sad for those who do not know her work.