Caged Bird Poem

What does the caged bird represent?

• The oppression of the African American community.

• A bird with clipped wings and tied feet.

• The fight for women's rights.

• Maya Angelou's anger at being lonely.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

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CCSS.RL.7.10

What does the free bird represent?

• The freedom of living without friends.

• A bird that has never had its wings clipped.

• The freedom of living without fear of slavery or racism as a white individual.

• Feeling strong after working in the fields.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

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What is this poem mainly about?

• The lives of birds

• The dreams of birds

• Joy and singing

• Freedom and slavery

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The poem alternates between describing the free bird and the caged bird. This structure emphasizes

• the complicated struggle of being free.

• the contrast between being free and confined.

• the similarity between the experiences of being free and confined.

• the caged bird and free bird are the same species.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.5.5

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CCSS.RL.7.10

Which line of the poem shows that the caged bird has never been free?

• “his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied / so he opens his throat to sing.” (lines 12–14)

• “his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings for freedom.” (lines 19–22)

• “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still” (lines 31–34)

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CCSS.RL.6.4

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What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?

• He is terribly unhappy.

• He prefers to sing rather than to fly.

• He does not know how to sing.

• Singing is the only way he can talk to other birds.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.5.4

Read these lines from the poem.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

What do these lines reveal about the caged bird?

• The caged bird is aware of its surroundings.

• The caged bird has strong feelings about his situation.

• The caged bird is satisfied with its life.

• The caged bird has difficulty flying.

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CCSS.RL.6.4

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In stanza 2, the only rhyming words are ____________ and _________.

• stalks and through

• sing and tied

• rage and cage

• bird and bird

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CCSS.RL.6.4

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What do the rhyming words rage and cage in stanza 2 emphasize?

• the anger that can accompany a lack of freedom

• the sadness that can accompany a lack of freedom

• that it is possible to feel free even in a cage

• that the caged bird cannot sing

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CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

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CCSS.RL.7.10

What does the word trill most likely mean, based on its context in stanza 3?

• trembling or quivering sound made a bird or insect

• strong, confident tone

• a peaceful song sung by a bird or insect

• another animal of a similar species

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CCSS.RL.6.4

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CCSS.RI.6.4

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