1. Hannah Griffith Maisie Baker Savannah Struble
Maya Angelou
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Hannah Griffith
Maisie Baker
Savannah Struble

2. Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou grew up in a time of harsh racism (1928-Present)
In 1954 and 1955 Maya toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess
3. In 1960, she moved to Cairo, Egypt to teach an English class, then later went on to work at a Ghana college to teach drama and music.

3. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
When was this text written? I know why the caged bird sings was written in 1969
Why was it written? It was written to show the struggles and problems that Maya faced when she was growing up and when she was actually grown.
What was going on in history when this text was written? Things that were going on in this time period were; The first civil rights bill was passed to protect black people from discrimination and Unemployment in the black ghetto was at a high level.

4. Summary
This piece of text is about a bird that longs for something better. He is tied, caged, and has clipped wing and clipped dreams. The only freedom he has is singing, and he still longs for something better, something outside his cage. However, all the bird can do is sit there and daydream of the freedoms that others have. The bird is lonely and frightened that things will never get better.

5. RELEVANCE
This poem is still relevant to history because racism is still alive, it had never truly died. This poem depicted someone who was so tired of longing for something better and of freedom from their bars of rage. It’s important still today because this poem shows people that treating others unequally and as if they are nothing, really does hurt and makes them feel caged from their opportunities of being happy.

6. LITERARY DEVICES
1. “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage” (Maya). Imagery
2.“And the trade winds soft through the sighing trees” (Maya). Personification
3. “The free bird leaps on the back of the wind” (Maya).
Personification