Discuss the significance of the title "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in the context of the entire poem.

Maya Angelou wrote an autobiographical book entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The title of the poem you are referring to is “Caged Bird.”

The title of the poem, “Caged Bird” is significant because the poem compares the lives of the bird who lives freely, and the one who is confined to a cage. Both birds are symbolic of the groups of people they represent.

The free bird is able to make choices based on a whim while the caged bird has to eke out an existence. The free bird represents those people and races who are free to live life unencumbered by the chains of racism and oppression. The caged bird is shackled and imprisoned by society, but it chooses to overcome those obstacles by singing. In choosing the title, “Caged Bird,” Angelou puts the focus on the tenacity and perseverance of those who are victims of bias and racism. Instead of allowing the “cage” to break their spirit, they chose to rise above their obstacles.