"I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" Treasure Trove Workbook Solutions by Evergreen Publications - Maya Angelou

"I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS" Treasure Trove Workbook Solutions/Notes

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Solutions/Notes, poem written by Maya Angelou

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UNSOLVED PASSAGES

PASSAGE-1

(i) In the opening lines, the poet describes the world of nature to be beautiful. She further describes its beauty, why stating that it is evening, and the whole sky is orange in color, with a beautiful sunset accompanying it, making the whole scene breathtaking.

(ii) According to the poet, the sun symbolizes freedom, the sky symbolizes glory and the wind symbolizes power in her poem.

(iii) The bird described in this stanza is free, representing the white American which is free to do anything and does not have to face any racial discrimination, as the free bird here, can fly in the sky without any restriction, and enjoy the beautiful sunset.

(iv) The free bird is a metaphor for the white Americans, that are not bounded by prejudice and racism, and can enjoy their life to the fullest, as the free bird can take another flight in the beautiful orange sky just like the white American can enjoy their freedom.

(v) The caged bird behaves abnormally and cries like one who has had a nightmare. It acts like this, as a person without freedom always acts abnormally, for the state of captivity is abnormal.

PASSAGE-2

(i)  The free bird claims the sky it's own, as it has the right to so. The free bird is not restricted in any way, neither there is anything preventing him from doing so. It can enjoy freedom, unlike the caged bird.

(ii) The encaged bird behaves abnormally and cries like one who has had a nightmare. It acts like this, as a person without freedom always acts abnormally, for the state of captivity is abnormal. (This question is a straight repetition of ques. (v) from Passage-1)

(iii) No, his state of captivity is not normal, as it is a living being, and a living being should not be kept in captivity without any viable reason. It is a crime to restrict freedom to any living being. Living beings are meant to explore, enjoy life, and most importantly, enjoy freedom.

(iv) The 'bars of rage' stands for the bars of the cage that the bird is kept in. It is angry and is screaming in agony due to not being able to fly and enjoy the things that the free bird can, which is why his cage is being referred to this.

(v) The caged bird is shown to be afraid of many unknown dangers of freedom, but in spite of all this, it still opens its mouth to sing for freedom, and his song is heard far and wide. The caged bird also screams in agony after this, in a frightening tone, due to not being able to experience freedom.

PASSAGE-3

(i) The poet reveals the plight of the caged bird in the second stanza, by gradually describing its situation in detail. The poet states how the bird's wings are clipped, and how this bird is captured in a small cage where is movement is very hard. The poet also describes its emotions, stating its anger, and fear. (plight means 'unfortunate situation')

(ii) The encaged bird is fearful of many unknown dangers that he might come across when he gets freedom. Although, in the end, the caged bird is shown to get past this fear, and yearn for his freedom.

(iii) This line means that although this bird is captured in a narrow cage, and has to experience so much mental pain due to its current situation, it still sings for his freedom, and his voice is heard far and wide. This symbolizes that the voice of an oppressed person can never be silenced, and his heard everywhere.

(iv) This line means that although the bird is struggling very hard to get his freedom, it is at the same time, afraid of the many dangers that might come with freedom. It fears those possible unknown dangers, but in the end, overcomes its fear.

(v) I get the idea, that although the African-American had to suffer years of racism, prejudice, and discrimination, they will still manage to win their fight for freedom, and make their voices of struggle heard everywhere in the world, which they did.

PASSAGE-4

(i) The 'bars of rage' symbolizes the bars of the cage that the bird is captured in. These are the bars, that are restricting the movement of the bird inside, due to them being so much narrow.

(ii) This phrase represents the fact that the free bird can take another flight in the sky and fly with the breeze, as it is free to do so. It can enjoy his freedom.

(iii) The 'trade winds' symbolize the fact that the free bird can take another flight in the sky against the wind. The 'fat worms' indirectly represent that the free bird can also find its own food since it has got freedom.

(iv) He 'names the sky his own' as it has every right to do so. It has the right to enjoy life, and enjoy the freedom to the fullest. He is not restricted by anyone from not doing so and does not have to face captivity. 

(v) The poet beautifully handles this topic by using symbolization, metaphors, and imagery to describe each bird and its situation, whilst at the same time, also highlighting the evil of racism in American society. 

"The Cold Within" Treasure Trove Workbook Solutions by Evergreen Publications - James Patrick Kinney

"The Cold Within" Treasure Trove Workbook Solutions/Notes

The Cold Within Solutions/Notes, poem written by James Patrick Kinney

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UNSOLVED PASSAGES

PASSAGE-1

(i) The poet describes that all the 'six humans' were together by happenstance, an event that is arranged. They were in a situation, which seems to have been arranged, even though it was accidental.

(ii) Each of them possed a log of wood with them, which could fuel the fire burning in front of them. The log of wood is used as a metaphor for sin, meaning that each of them was holding onto their sins.

(iii) There is a certain significance of the logs of wood in the hands of six-person, as each log of wood could fuel the fire burning in front of them all night, but refused to use it, so as to cause harm to others just over prejudice. This shows, that the log of wood was a metaphor for sin, which they held onto.

(iv) All these people could have used their logs to fuel the fire burning in front of them, which could have eventually saved their lives, as the fire would have kept them all warm throughout the night.

(v) All the six people in that situation died in the morning, due to the cold. They could have used the logs in their hands, but they did not because of prejudice and that costed them with their lives.

                                 PASSAGE-2

(i) The poet to the 'dying fire' here, as the fire was slowly dying due to the lack of wood. Six people of different religion, race, and beliefs were sitting beside it. It is a happenstance, which is an arranged situation. 

(ii) Each of them possessed a log of wood in their hands, without any explanation as to how they came in possession of it. Each log could also have fueled the fire in front of them, to keep them warm throughout the night. 

(iii) The first person was a white male, who believed in white supremacy. He also possessed a log of wood, that could fuel the fire to keep it burning throughout the cold night.

(iv) He had noticed a black African-American person standing in front of him. 

(v) He held back from giving his stick, since he had noticed a black person in front of him, and wanted to hurt him. So he denied to give up his stick to fuel the fire, all because of racial prejudice.

(vi) He suffered from racial prejudice, that eventually led him to his death.


                                 PASSAGE-3

(i) Six people from a different race, religion, and backgrounds were trapped in the bitter cold. This situation is a happenstance, meaning it is arranged to serve a particular purpose. 

(ii) Just one log of wood, that could fuel the fire to burn throughout the cold night, was needed to save them from the dangerous cold, which they all held in their hands, was needed.

(iii) The second man noticed a person who was not of his religion, standing in front of him. Since he suffered from religious incompetence, he refused to give his stick to fuel the fire, that could have saved all of the six people from their deaths.

(iv) He decided not to help a person of different religion because he did not want to save a person who was not of his religion, and thus, suffered from intolerance, which sealed his fate.

(v) Yes, he suffers from the 'cold within' him, as he was ready to accept death for something that did not even had a proper reason to hate for. He suffered due to his intolerance, due to the 'cold within' him.


                               PASSAGE-4

(i) The poet tells us that a group of six people from different backgrounds and upbringing are trapped in a happenstance, an arranged situation, with the fate of their lives, lying in their hands.

(ii) The two men kept their stick with them, as they both believed in racial prejudice, and religious incompetence respectively, to the extent that they both were ready to accept their deaths.

(iii) The third man was extremely poor and was a beggar, as stated in the poem. He wore tattered clothes and a coat.

(iv) The third man decided not to warm the 'idle rich', as he believed that the rich man already had a lot, so should he give the little help that he had to someone with so many worldly luxuries.

(v) No, they were all aware of their consequences of what they were doing, but they still refused to act otherwise, only because of hatred for something, that no one could change even if they wanted. They all believed in their unjustified and irrational hatred so much, that they were ready to die for it.


                               PASSAGE-5

(i) The other three men referred to earlier in the poem, was the white man who supported racism, the man of a particular religion who suffered from intolerance, and finally the poor man, who suffered from stinginess.

(ii) The poor man did not part with his stick, as he wanted to hurt the rich man, and also did not wanted to give the little help he had to someone so rich. He acted out of his stinginess and faced death because of it.

(iii) The thought of all the wealth he had with himself, and how he could keep what he had earned with himself by not helping the poor, kept him lost in his thought.

(iv) He decided not to help the poor man, as he did not wanted to help someone who was lazy and did not wanted to work. Thus, making it clear that he suffered from greediness.

(v) He possessed with himself, the sin of greediness, which made him not give up his stick, which eventually led him to his death.

                                PASSAGE-6

(i) The four men referred earlier, included the racist white man, the intolerant religious man, the stingy poor man, and the greedy white man.

(ii) The prejudice in the minds of the poor man and the rich man were stinginess, and greediness respectively, that led them not to give up their sticks to fuel the fire.

(iii) The black man's face clearly showed his rage and the anger in his heart. It was clear that he wanted revenge against the white man standing across him. 

(iv) The black man decided to hurt the white man, by not giving up his stick to fuel the fire, that would lead to his death, forgetting the fact that it would kill him as well at the same time, but his thirst for revenge was greater to make him realize his loss.

(v) Each of the men in the group are unable to see their loss, as their hatred for their so-called 'justified reason' is so strong, that it has blinded all of them to see past their self motives and to maybe act beyond their own agendas, and have a bigger heart. 


                                PASSAGE-7

(i) The five other men referred by the poet earlier includes the racist white man, the religiously incompetent man, the stingy poor man, the greedy rich man, and the revenge-thirsty black man.

(ii) Each man failed to act outside their own personal motive, and make the selfless act that could had saved not only them but also others. Each of them failed to see past their hate.

(iii) The last man was the ungrateful and selfish type. He suffered from a lack of generosity. 

(iv) He failed as well to give his log of wood, as he was also blinded by his selfish nature and failed to see past it, which led him to his death like the others. 

(v) According to the poet, the hate inside each of their hearts, the 'cold within' them, killed them all towards the end. They were all consumed by their hate so much, that they were ready to accept their fall. Thus, aptly, they all died because of the 'cold within', and not because of the cold outside.

(Side Note: If you think that some of the answers are too short, that is because you are only required to answer only that much which is asked. It is ok to write more, but you are only increasing the chances of making more spelling errors, and also killing your time, especially if you are giving exams. From my experience, you are only required to write as much as the question asks you, in boards. You should only give a satisfactory answer. My teacher always taught me, 'Creativity is not writing numerous words to give a small meaning, but instead writing a few words, and still managing to say a lot.")