English 11 Unit Four Project Outline Ms.

Laurin

I. Introduction
A. Thesis statement: Maya Angelou uses one poetic device, symbolism, to
represent the themes of the importance of equality in Equality, and the
existence of oppression in Still I Rise and Caged Bird. (last sentence)
B. Biography of the poet.
II. Body Paragraph #1
A. Topic sentence: Symbolism and the important of equality in Equality.
B. Supporting evidence:
i. Maya Angelou uses drums as a symbolism in this poem. Drums beat is her
message from her heart that beating and fighting for equality.
ii. “While my drums beat out the message/ And the rhythms never change”
(line 7-8).
iii. The poem is about the pain of being ignored in the society and hope for
the equality.
C. Clincher sentence: The equality represents the poet’s thought and feeling about
the discrimination in the society.

III. Body Paragraph #2

A. Topic sentence: Symbolism and the existence of oppression in Still I Rise.
B. Supporting evidence:
i. “Did you want to see me broken? / Bowed head and lowered eyes?”(Line
13-14).
ii. Tide is the symbolism which shows that the author rises up like a tide even
though she was oppressed by other people.
C. Clincher sentence: The Still I rise poem has a symbolism which clearly represent
the author life.

IV. Body Paragraph #3

A. Topic sentence: Symbolism and the existence of oppression in Caged Bird.
B. Supporting evidence:
i. The main symbolism is the caged bird. The caged bird was compared to the
free bird. It is a bird that being captured in the cage and it has no freedom.
ii. “his wings are clipped
and/ his feet are tied” (line 12-13), “But a caged bird stands on the grave of
dreams” (line 27).
iii. Caged bird also represents the author who was oppressed and limited her
freedom.
C. Clincher sentence: The caged bird shows how oppression exists in the society by
using symbolism in the poem.

V. Conclusion
A. Rephrased thesis statement: The poet uses symbolism to reflect and
show about the inequality and oppression that she faced with in the society.
English 11 Unit Four Project Outline Ms. Laurin

The symbolism of Maya Anjelou’s poetry

Racism is one of the serious problems in the today society that occurs around the

world. It is when people believe that their own race is superior than others’. It becomes worse

when racism further results prejudice, discrimination, or oppression. Maya Angelou, the

famous African American poet, was one of the victims who suffered from racism. Her

poetries were popular, and she received a lot of award of her numerous poetry. Anjelou

expressed her pain and experience from being judged by other people through her poetry.

Maya Angelou uses one poetic device, symbolism, to represent the themes of the importance

of equality in Equality, and the existence of oppression in Still I Rise and Caged Bird.

Angelou uses symbolism in the “Equality” to indicate the importance of equality. She

uses drums beat as a symbolism in this poem. She emphasizes about her desire for equality

by mentioning about the drums beat twice in the stanza two and eight. For example, Anjelou

says, “While my drums beat out the message/ And the rhythms never change.” (lines 7-8).

She emphasizes that her goal of receiving equality in one day will never change. Then,

Anjelou starts to describe about her pain. She says that other people ignore her voice of

fighting for herself, and those people do not even try to understand her. It shows that she was

discriminated and limited her freedom. As she states, “Equality, and I will be free./Equality,

and I will be free.” (lines 9-10, 19-20, 29-30). It shows that Anjelou does not receive equality

for herself yet. However, she does not give up and uses the pain to push herself forward. In

addition, she wants everyone to listen and stop ignoring her. Even though she was hurt, she

still fights for equality, because she believes that equality will come one day. As she

mentions, “Yes, my drums are beating nightly,/ And the rhythms never change.” (lines 27-

28). The drum is beating the same every day and every night which represents her message

from her heart that beating refers to her demanding for equality.
English 11 Unit Four Project Outline Ms. Laurin

Angelou tries to use the symbolism in “Still I’ll rise” to present the existence of

oppression in the society. She compares herself to the tides or the wave. This poem is also

about racism that African American people are struggling with. The readers can recognize

that African American people are treated unequally in the society by reading this poem. In

some stanza, she starts by asking a sarcastic question to those people who oppress her for

example, “Did you want to see me broken?/ Bowed head and lowered eyes?” (lines 13-14).

The poem informs us that African American people have been treated like a slave for a long

time and Anjelou dreams that she can change the mournful history, as Anjelou says, “I am

the dream and the hope of the slave.”(line 40). The poem strongly shows how strong Anjelou

is; even though the society oppresses her and treats African American people badly, she does

not give up to fight. While Anjelou says, “Just like moons and like suns,/ With the certainly

of tides,/ Just like hopes springing high,/ Still I’ll rise.” (lines 9-10), she compares herself as

the tides which certainly rise up. Other people do not want to see her succeed but they want

to see her depressed. However, she is confident that she can ignore those people. The society

hurts her in many ways, but she does not surrender. She does not want to let the history

become the same, so she rises up against others’ criticism.

In “Caged Bird”, Anjelou uses symbolism to demonstrate the existence of oppression

in the society. The poem focuses on two types of bird which are free bird and caged bird.

Free bird has its own freedom, since it can fly freely in the sky to see beautiful things that are

waiting for it. According to lines 23-26, “The free bird thinks of another breeze/ and the trade

winds soft through the sighing trees/ and fat worms waiting on a down bright lawn/ and he

names the sky his own”. On the other hand, she is comparing the caged bird to African

American people, because it demonstrates that caged bird is being restricted from freedom

like those people. The caged bird also has a dream; however, it cannot pursue because of the
English 11 Unit Four Project Outline Ms. Laurin

cage. Therefore, it can only open its throat to sing, like in lines 27-30, “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’s dreams have

died because it stucks in the cage, and the only thing it can do is to sign. Likewise, African

American people do not have rights like other people. Their freedom are limited like a caged

bird, because racism and discrimination still exist.

The theme of the importance of equality in Equality, and the existence of oppression

in Still I Rise and Caged Bird are represented by the symbolism that the poet uses. Each

poem has its uniqueness and similarity that “Still I’ll rise”, “Equality”, and “The caged bird”

contain the information about racism and discrimination. Because Anjelou focuses on her real

experience as an African American person, Anjelou’s poetry then can clearly reflect the

racism issue in society nowadays to audience.

English 11 Unit Four Project Outline Ms. Laurin

References

Anjelou, M. (n.d.). Caged bird by Maya Angelou.

Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/search?query=Caged Bird

Angelou, M. (n.d.). Equality by Maya Angelou.

Retrieved from https://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/maya-angelou/equality-28/

Angelou, M. (n.d.). Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.

Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise

Maya Angelou. (2018, February 27).

Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/maya-angelou-9185388

Word count: 899 words