Exploring Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird'

An extended metaphor is a detailed comparison which develops one idea over a number of lines, paragraphs or stanzas. In 'Caged Bird', the idea of a bird in a cage is an extended metaphor for the unjust experiences of the Black community. In 'Caged Bird', Angelou is perhaps referencing the racial segregation enforced by the 19th-20th century Jim Crow laws. When comparing two poems, it can be useful to first think about what connects them. After finding a point of connection between poems, you could consider the differences within this point of connection.