Figurative language

I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns 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.

Figurative laguage used:

But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

And his tune is heard on the distant hill

And dares to claim the sky.

This poem differentiates between a free bird and a caged bird. A free bird has a lot of freedom but a caged bird does not. The first paragraph describes about the free bird. The second paragraph tells us that the caged bird has a miserable life as it cannot be like other birds. The other paragraphs shows that the bird longs to have freedom so it can do what other birds do, eat worms and ruling the sky but it seems impossible. It ends with the caged bird singing, singing for freedom. All in all, this is a sad poem.