Trivia: Which Maya Angelou poem was a metaphor for the oppressed?
Caged Bird
Phenomenal Woman
Alone
When I Think About Myself
Correct Answer: Caged Bird
So why is this answer correct? : Civil rights activist Maya Angelou’s 1983 poem describes very different experiences for two birds, one caged and one uncaged. The uncaged bird is free to do as it wants in nature, while the caged bird is trapped and suffering. To cope with its captivity, the caged bird sings, longing for its freedom. Angelou uses this metaphor to highlight how different things are for oppressed populations, and that they are emotionally resilient despite, or because of, their suffering.