1. To interpret

Question

in “The Caged Bird,” the reader must look at the context of the text rather than an individual word.

2. Read the passage from “The Caged Bird.”

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage

The connotation of narrow in the passage creates a feeling of

indifference.
monotony.
satisfaction.
suffocation.

3. Read the excerpt from “The Caged Bird.”

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

What is the figurative meaning of the excerpt?

The bird’s cage has been placed so that it overlooks a cemetery.
The bird’s cage is so small that it cramps his wings and feet.
The caged bird has had his hope destroyed.
The caged bird is thinking very serious thoughts.

4. Read the excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem “I Sit and Look Out” that Clara is using in her analysis of “The Caged Bird.”

I sit and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all oppression and shame; I hear the secret convulsive sobs . . .

Clara chose this excerpt to help support her interpretation of “The Caged Bird” because it has an extended metaphor that examines

secrecy.
sacrifice.
shame.
suffering.

5. If another stanza were added to “The Caged Bird,” which excerpt could best be used to continue the extended metaphor?

The free bird sings
with a joyous song
of the captive life
that kept it safe all along
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things it craves
outside the sill
The free bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things it craves
outside the sill
The caged bird sings
with a joyous song
of the captive life
that kept it safe all along

6. Read the passage from “The Caged Bird.”

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

Which word from the passage gives the best indication of the speaker’s tone?

dreams
scream
wings
sing

7. When searching for the connotations of the words in “The Caged Bird,” the reader should study

the literal, dictionary meaning of the word.
the feeling or idea associated with the word.
the thing that the word is being compared to.
the attitude that the word implies about the theme.

8. Read the passage from “The Caged Bird.”

A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

Which word best reflects the tone of the stanza?

opportunity
carelessness
fantasy
coincidence

9. Read the passage from “The Caged Bird.”

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

Which additional line best matches the tone of the stanza?

and he thunders through the stormy sky
and he drifts among the cottony clouds
and he charges past the sorrowing sky
and he flies right through circular clouds

10. A(n)
_______-- is a comparison over the course of a poem.

Answer 1

1. True - To interpret an element in “The Caged Bird,” context is vital for understanding its meaning.

2. The connotation of narrow in the passage creates a feeling of suffocation.

3. The figurative meaning of the excerpt is that the caged bird has had his hope destroyed.

4. Clara chose this excerpt to help support her interpretation of “The Caged Bird” because it has an extended metaphor that examines suffering.

5. If another stanza were added to “The Caged Bird,” the excerpt that could best be used to continue the extended metaphor is: The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things it craves outside the sill.

6. The word from the passage that gives the best indication of the speaker’s tone is scream.

7. When searching for the connotations of the words in “The Caged Bird,” the reader should study the feeling or idea associated with the word.

8. The word that best reflects the tone of the stanza is opportunity.

9. The additional line that best matches the tone of the stanza is: and he drifts among the cottony clouds.

10. A(n) extended metaphor is a comparison over the course of a poem.

Answer 2

for 1. is it

denotation
figurative language?
literal?
sound?

Answer 3

For 1, the correct response is figurative language. The context provided by the figurative language is essential for interpreting meanings in “The Caged Bird,” rather than just relying on the literal definitions (denotation) of individual words.

Answer 4

Highlight a detail that shows what Angelou thinks of the lady.

For nearly a year, I sopped around the house, the Store, the school and the church, like an old biscuit, dirty and inedible. Then I met, or rather got to know, the lady who threw me my first life line.

—I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,
Maya Angelou

Which inference about the lady can be made based on the thoughts of the narrator in this passage?

The lady is busy and distracted.
The lady is lonely and unhappy.
The lady is friendly and compassionate.

Answer 5

Based on the thoughts of the narrator in this passage, the inference that can be made about the lady is that the lady is friendly and compassionate. The phrase "the lady who threw me my first life line" suggests that the lady played a significant and positive role in the narrator's life, indicating her kindness and support.