Birdsong Analysis

“Song of the Hummingbird” was written by Graciela Limon . The book is about an Aztec princess Huitzitzilin who talks about what happens to her during the Spanish conquest. Huitzitzilin decided to tell her story to Father Benito who is one of the main characters in the book. At the end of the book, Huitzitzilin dies and Father Benito finally sees the truth through her eyes and her story. The main idea or the lesson that this book is trying to teach a person is that you should not automatically judge a person until you get to know them. The book “Song of the Hummingbird” caused me to have a rollercoaster of emotions and the lesson that I liked the most from this book was that you should give someone a chance before you judge them. The lesson that the book teaches the students is that you need to have the strength and you need fight for what you believe in no matter what the punishments are.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Specifically it will discuss the themes of racism and segregation, and how these strong themes are woven throughout this moving autobiography. Maya Angelou recounts the story of her early life, including the racism and segregation she experiences throughout her formative years. With wit, sincerity, and remarkable talent, Angelou portrays racism as a product of ignorance and prejudice. However, she finds the strength to rise above this crippling condition.

The poet orders his listener to behold a “solitary Highland lass” reaping and singing by herself in a field. He says that anyone passing by should either stop here, or “gently pass” so as not to disturb her. As she “cuts and binds the grain” she “sings a melancholy strain,” and the valley overflows with the beautiful, sad sound. The speaker says that the sound is more welcome than any chant of the nightingale to weary travelers in the desert, and that the cuckoo-bird in spring never sang with a voice so thrilling. Impatient, the poet asks, “Will no one tell me what she sings?” He speculates that her song might be about “old, unhappy, far-off things, / And battles long ago,” or that it might be humbler, a simple song about “matter of today.” Whatever she sings about, he says, he listened “motionless and still,” and as he traveled up the

Birds are a common sight in most places people tend to be. These winged creatures are seen in bustling places like the pigeons that are in urban and suburban areas, the woodpeckers in rural regions, the crows on farms, and even in cages within buildings. In fact, these elegant creatures are so common a sight in society that they are often overlooked and underappreciated. This is similar to how women were and sometimes still are treated within society; they are given little appreciation when they are present and doing as they are told, but when they do not do as they are told they become a problem. This parallel that can be drawn between women and birds is used throughout Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, in which its main character Edna Pontellier is often likened to and symbolized by a bird. Throughout the novel, the bird acts as a theme and symbol of both Edna and women in general.

Birdsong is a novel set in the period before, during and after the First World War. Automatically one would think of the loss of life that was suffered during this time, but the loss of life is not the only form loss suffered during this time. Standing side -by -side with the loss of life is the loss of love and the loss of faith. Faulks uses vivid descriptions and contrasting images to place the reader at the scene and make them empathise with the characters. Loss is one of the most poignant themes in the book, and is one that fuels a majority of the lines written.

Within ‘Birdsong’ Faulks uses the character of Stephen as his voice, through which he propounds his horror and perplexity at what is unfolding during the War. Faulks also introduces the idea of a new reality which is experienced by the men in the trenches.

Mrs. Wright lived her entire marriage alone, confined to a tiny house in the outskirts of town, with her only true companion a bird who sung to her, she loved that bird like it was her child. Mrs. Wright blamed her husband for her loneliness because he wouldn’t allow her to sing in church, have friends over, or have a telephone to even call people occasionally. Mr. Wright made her feel as though she was in solitary confinement in a prison this was not a home. At least she had her canary to keep her company, well until he took that away from her too.

Compare the ways Sherriff presents the main character of Stanhope in Journey’s End with Faulks’ presentation of Stephen in Birdsong

A strong and influential memoirist is able to grasp the reader’s attention and dive into topics bigger than themselves. Maya Angelou, the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, describes herself as neither a hero nor a victim as she recollects her past. Growing up, Maya Angelou not only suffered from white prejudice and gender inequality, she was presented with situations that made her feel powerless. According to Angelou, “The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, whites illogical hate and Black lack of power,” (Angelou, 272). However, she found herself persevering through all of the adversity she faced and accepted her reality: “the fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement” (Angelou, 272). Angelou did an exceptional job of describing herself as neither a hero nor a victim in her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Compare the ways death and escapism are presented in Journey's End & Birdsong. To what extent do you agree that Journey's End portrayal of death is more effective than Birdsong? The 1920s was a period of silence for the arts because of the aftermath of the war. Although some there were some plays in theatres, they were often failures, as no theatre manager would take a play with a moral or historical purpose. Therefore, Sherriff's Journey's End, performed in 1928, was perhaps a catalyst for the people of that time to be comfortable around the Great War.

Publica fama, what today’s society would call hearsay, was what everybody knew, so it was socially accepted as reliable (Fama 17). The husband’s actions put a stop to the lovers’ nightly talks but not before she sent the body of the bird to her love with a message explaining why she could no longer speak with him. Thus proving how strong the ideology of women being subservient to her husband in all regards.

John James Audubon and Annie Dillard, both established writers, expertly describe their experiences observing a flock of birds. Their evaluations go in depth in the form of both a physical description of events and well as the emotions exposed from those events. Although both of the authors use rhetorical strategies to enhance their writing, they convey their message making different stylistic choices.

The poem is about the vulnerability, innermost torment and the suppression of an emotional and fragile personality symbolized through the image of a Bluebird hidden inside the speakers mind.

The poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou tells the story of two birds: one bird has the luxury of freedom and the second bird lives its life caged and maltreated by an unknown tyrant. Maya Angelou wrote this poem during the Civil Rights Era, the period when black activists in the 1950’s and 1960’s fought for desegregation of African Americans. This poem parallels the oppression that African Americans were fighting during this time period. In “Caged Bird”, Angelou builds a strong contrast that shows the historical context of discrimination and segregation through the use of mood, symbolism, and theme.

In this literary analysis it is essential to compare and contrast Cathy Song’s poem “Heaven” and Bryan Thao Worra’s poem “Pen/Sword” to give the reader a better understanding of what the authors’ are conveying to their readers. The similarities in the style, word choice, and theme will be compared, along with the differences of style, word choice, and theme reflected throughout each poem. Furthermore, I will determine the meaning behind the broken up and/or the way the lines of each poem while describing why the lines are strategically placed throughout the pieces. This will allow me to identify the meaning that the authors’ are explaining to the reader. Each poet specifically writes to give the reader(s) a picture of what they are feeling and defining their emotion through their writing.