Reading No. 3 Poems: "Caged Bird" & "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"

Maya Angelou



Title: Caged Bird


Author: Maya Angelou


Date: 1983


Setting (time and place):  There is not mention of time or place in this poem since the Characters are a metaphoric representation.




Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question): This poem is giving a comparison of what a free bird can do, and a caged bird can't. This of course is a metaphor referring to the difference between the white and black people. This difference has existed for thousands of years and even now a days it can be evidenced in some places around the world. 




Characters:

The Free Bird: It is the representation of freedom itself and good life compared to others.

The Caged Bird: It is the representation of a life as a prisoner and not being able to fulfill desires and wishes. 

Memorable quote / favorite part: "But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream..."

How did it make me feel? / can I make any connection to my life?

This poem is very interesting because when I started reading it, I didn't get its strong meaning at the moment. This poem has a strong relationship with the history of black people and slavery. As most of the literary pieces analyzed in this journal, this poem shows the reality of events that happened years ago and that still happen now a days. This poem shows years and years in which the power was in the hands of white people and the black people were forced to live in very bad conditions.






Langston Hughes



Title: The Negro Speaks of Rivers 


Author: Langston Hughes


Date: 1994

Settings (time and place): 
This poem mentions the rivers Euphrates, Congo, Nile, and Mississippi which can be linked to the places in which the main character has been. 

Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question):
In this poem the author is showing how the life of black people changed when they were forced to move to other places to work as slaves.

Characters:

This poem is written in first person so It can be said that he somehow is talking about himself and his people.

Memorable quote / favorite part:
"I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human body. My soul has grown deep like the rivers." 

How did it make me feel? / can I make any connection to my life?

This poem is not only sad but also nostalgic or at least this is the feeling I perceived from the author. It looks like he misses the life he had when he was in contact with the rivers. He was able to bath or build huts near the river, but then he moved to the United States far away from his precious rivers and his story changed. Something that calls my attention is that probably in the past these people was forced to move to other places due to slavery and now a days there are people who has to move because the place where they are doesn't have the necessary conditions to live.

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