1. Ryan Dye Mr. Coach Dye English 12, 7 th period 17 March 2015 “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Maya Angelou

2. Angelou Poet, writer, performer, teacher, and director Maya Angelou was raised in Stamps, Arkansas, then moved to San Francisco. In addition to her bestselling autobiographies, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she also an essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet (Lanker, “Review of Letters to My Daughter”).

3. Angelou’s Inspiration Inspiration for us all: "In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics, the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats— maybe it's imperative that we encounter the defeats—but we are much stronger than we appear to be, and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be” (Plimpton, Paris Review 1990).

4. Modern Poet of the Civil Rights April 4, 1928 – Angelou was born as Marguerite Ann Johnson in St. Louis 1944- At age 16 she became San Francisco’s first female streetcar driver. 1954 - Brown vs. Board of Edu. desegregation of schools 1963 - Birmingham, AL becomes front line in civil rights battle. King is arrested during protests. 1965 – Voting rights marches to Selma, AL begin. Malcolm X is assassinated. April 4, 1968, her friend, Martin Luther King was assassinated. 1993 – Angelou read’s at President Clinton’s inauguration 2010 – President Obama awards Angelou the Presidential Medal of Freedom Died last year (Leopold, CNN News, 2014).

5. Caged Bird By Maya Angelou 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. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. 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 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. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

6. Caged Bird By Maya Angelou 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. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. 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 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. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. Rather than simply having a rhyme scheme throughout the poem, Angelou mixes the use of assonance, alliteration, and rhyme. This style is more characteristic of modern poetry rather than Renaissance, Romantic or Victorian poetry. Assonance = the repetition of vowels sounds. Alliteration = repetition of initial consonants. Rhyme= a word agreeing with another in terminal sound. Assonance, Alliteration, Rhyme

7. Caged Bird By Maya Angelou 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. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. 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 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. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. The repetition of the refrain highlights the most important words of the poem. Angelou uses her refrain to point out the theme of a freedom longed for but not granted, a freedom that is inherent and instinctive in all creatures. Repetition

8. Caged Bird By Maya Angelou 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. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. 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 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. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. Descriptive language that creates images in the mind; Language that appeals to the five senses. Imagery

9. Symbolism Narrow cage, clipped wings, & tied feet – oppression, slavery, unjust incarceration, –“separate but equal” - Jim Crow laws Leaps on the back of the wind; in orange sun rays –Free life –“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Singing –Hope –Spiritual songs of slaves and black laborers. Juxtaposition –Caged bird to free bird represents Afro- American versus Euro-American History (Dye, Notes, 2011)

10. Why I Chose Caged Bird “Our country needs us all right now to stand up and be counted. We need to try to be great citizens. We are necessary in this country, and we need to give something -- that is to say, go to a local hospital, go to the children's ward and offer to the nurse in charge an hour twice a month that you can give them reading children's stories or poetry, And go to an old folks' home and read the newspaper to somebody. Go to your church or your synagogue or your mosque, and say, 'I'd like to be of service. I have one hour twice a month.‘ "You'll be surprised at how much better you will feel," she said. "And good done anywhere is good done everywhere” (Leopold, CNN News, 2014).

11. Works Cited Page Leopold, et al. “Legendary Author Maya Angelou Dies at 86.” CNN News. 2015. Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc. Web. 18 March 2015. The Purdue OWL. 26 March 2009. Purdue University Online Writing Lab. 27 March 2009. “Maya Angelou.” Poets.org. 2011. The Academy of American Poets. Web. 1 April 2011. Vena, Jocelyn. “Maya Angelou’s Poem about Michael Jackson: We Had Him.” Maya Angelou: Global Renaissance Woman. 2011. Dr. Maya Angelou, The Official Website. Web. 1 April 2011.

12. Works Cited Page Print sources –Name of author: Last name, first name. Full title of book or magazine. City of publication (if more than one city is listed, put the closest one): Name of publisher. Copyright date. Print. Textbook –Name of corporate author. Full title of book. City of publication (if more than one city is listed put the closest one): Name of publisher. Copyright date. Print. Articles from a Website –Author’s Name (Last, First). “Name of Article.” Name of Website. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of organization affiliated with the site (sometimes found in copyright statements). Web. Date you accessed the site. Entire Website –Name of Site. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of organization affiliated with the site (sometimes found in copyright statements). Web. Date you accessed the site.

13. Helpful Tips Good websites to use: BBC History, Poetryfoundation.org, Poets.org, The Literature Network, and Purdue OWL Research and find important information first. Fix font and layout later. Create a Works Cited page now, so you can keep up with your sources. Use websites that are academic and easy to cite, especially when citing pictures. Use parenthetical citations & pictures throughout the presentation. Avoid frivolous sound effects & transitions. Don't distort your pictures by stretching them to be fat or skinny. Use the corners to format them. Go to SmartArt and choose Basic Timeline for an easy timeline graph. Save your work in 2 places. Use the rubric and directions to check each other’s presentations. Use the rubric and directions to check each other’s presentations. Practice reading your poem and slides, so that you have a natural sounding presentation. Show knowledge of poem, poet, & time period. Emphasized the main points & talk about the interesting things about your poem or author. Do NOT mumble. Speak loudly and clearly. Show but do not read your Works Cited Page