I needed time to process what I was reading and the emotions evoked by the author. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I have with your help raised two grown boys. Imagine as a child a white woman decides your name is too hard to pronounce and therefore calls you something else entirely. View more posts. I may be partial as a poet myself, but I loved the way Dr. Angelou wrote, as though the whole book were a work of poetry. I know why the caged bird sings, Maya Angelou, Ballantine Libri. Oprah Winfrey, who read the novel when she was 15, said in a forward to the 2015 edition of the book, "... here was a story that finally spoke to the heart of me." While we've done our best to make the core functionality of this site accessible without javascript, it will work better with it enabled. Dr. Angelou writes about such heavy issues with a hand that says, “Here it is – keep looking.”. She fit words together in such a way that I was left reeling. Please consider turning it on! She is matter-of-fact when discussing the prejudice and racism inflicted upon her from a young age. I think this is a difficult thing to do for a novel-length piece. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou does not pull a single punch. ( Log Out /  Each casebook will reprint documents relating to the work's historical context and reception, present the best in critical essays, and when possible, feature an interview of the author. This exciting new series assembles key documents and criticism concerning these works that have so recently become central components of the American literature curriculum. Change ), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. However, I believe it was executed in such a way that it enhanced the book rather than overwhelming it. 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. This book is a classic for a reason. This casebook presents a variety of critical approaches to this classic autobiography, along with an exclusive interview with Angelou conducted specially for this volume and a unique drawing of her childhood surroundings in Stamps, Arkansas, drawn by Angelou herself. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. She is fearless in her retelling of a childhood rape. I also felt that the ending was a little abrupt. Dr. Angelou writes about such heavy issues with a hand that says, “Here it is – keep looking.” The Good.

The subject matter is profoundly important, so it is a must-read for everyone, in my opinion. This book is a reminder that, though we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go. Many’s the day I thought I wouldn’t be able to go on, but you gave me the strength to see my way clear.