Product I decided to write a poem for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, because I love to write. I feel as though creative writing is my stronger way to write as opposed to a structured writing. I do not necessarily like to write poetry but it was the mood that I was in after reading the book. Reading her works made me feel a rhythmic tone that I put to my writing.
As I was writing the poem I wrote what I thought Maya's feelings towards the caged bird were. I choose not to site directly from the book though because I wanted it to be based I on what I was feeling through my knowledge of the book. If I had put exactly what Ms. Angelou had stated in the book, then I would feel as though it was not entirely my piece of work.
English: Maya Angelou reciting her poem, "On the P...
Maya Relief of Royal Blood Letting
Cover from the first edition of I Know Why the Cag...I first started writing down ideas, symbols, and some similes to what I thought I might put in my poem. I thought of inspirations and different moods through out the book. I decided to write mostly on positive occurrences and feelings when I began my poem. This was the tone that I was going to use to start and to finish my poem.
When I wrote my poem it was exact opposite oh how I planned it out to be. Usually I will have some type of outline, a couple of rhyming words I will use, or at least know what style I will write in. However, in this poem I started out one way, and finished a totally different way. I had written approximately five lines when I did not feel good about my writing. It was then that I went back and deleted all of my lines except for my first line, and I started all over again. I felt that this was a perfect lesson for me to learn from the book; when you try to accomplish something do not be too sure that the way you start out getting there is the way you will end up getting there.
It was a great way for me to learn from Maya's book through this writing. I learned that things are going to happen and it is only you who can change them and make them go your way. You can get frustrated and give up, or you can rise to the occasion and persevere. Through I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and my poem I learned that lesson. I know that I will be able to carry it through life and apply it.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (film)
Sketch of African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunb...
Poetry