Identify the connotative meaning of each word based on the context of the poem.
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
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.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
–“Caged Bird,”
Maya Angelou
The connotative meaning of sky is “
.”
The connotative meaning of narrow is “
.”
The connotative meaning of dreams is “
.”
The connotative meaning of shadow is “
darkness or gloom.”
The connotative meaning of sky is "limitless, vast, freedom."
The connotative meaning of narrow is "confining, limited, restricted."
The connotative meaning of dreams is "hope, aspirations, desires."
The connotative meaning of shadow is "darkness, fear, oppression."
The connotative meaning of sky based on the context of the poem is freedom. The free bird is able to claim the sky, which symbolizes a sense of liberation and limitless possibilities.
The connotative meaning of narrow based on the context of the poem is confinement or restriction. The bird's cage is described as narrow, implying a lack of space and freedom.
The connotative meaning of dreams based on the context of the poem is unfulfilled desires or aspirations. The caged bird stands on the grave of dreams, suggesting that its hopes and ambitions are suppressed and unattainable.
The connotative meaning of shadow based on the context of the poem is darkness or despair. The shadow of the caged bird is portrayed as shouting on a nightmare scream, representing the bird's anguish and suffering.