Thursday 17 March 2011

post by elizabeth.


The Caged Bird In Springtime
By James Kirkup
What can it be,
This curious anxiety?
It is as if I wanted
To fly away from here.

But how absurd!
I have never flown in my life,
And I do not know
What flying means, though I have heard,
Of course, something about it.

Why do I peck the wires of this little cage?
It is the only nest I have ever known.
But I want to build my own,
High in the secret branches of the air.

I cannot quite remember how
It is done, but I know
That what I want to do
Cannot be done here.

I have all I need –
Seed and water, air and light.
Why then, do I weep with anguish,
And beat my head and my wings
Against those sharp wires, while the children
Smile at each other, saying: “Hark how he sings”?


Level: Sec 2 Express/ Normal
Objective: To teach students tone and mood/atmosphere and how it portrays thematic concerns.
I feel that this poem is suitable for students of the lower secondary level as it is written in relatively simple English. Therefore, students should be able to understand the poem without much difficulty. Also, students possibly would be able to relate to the theme of constraint and the frustration it causes present in the poem as this is an issue many adolescents face in their identity development years as they strive to define themselves as separate entities from their elders.

I would suggest for the teacher to read the poem to students before the following questions are carried out. This is because some students may not be able to immediately pick out the tone of the poem’s persona. By reading the poem aloud, students will be able to study the text through both audio and visual means, allowing for a better creation of understanding.

1.    After reading James Kirkup’s The Caged Bird In Springtime,
a) What do you think the poem is about?
b) Identify the tone of the persona in the poem.

This question aims to guide students to locating the poet’s intended purpose of the poem. Firstly, students will be asked to describe the event(s) in the poem, to ensure that they are on the right track. Thereafter, they are to identify the tone. In correctly identifying the tone of the poem, through a close examination of the diction and details, students will be able to understand better the attitude implied in the poem.

2. How does the Kirkup’s use of imagery contribute to the creation of atmosphere in the poem? 

Assuming that students have already been taught figurative language and imagery, question 2 allows students to further explore the mood of the poem through the imagery Kirkup uses in his poem. Through identifying the imagery used, students would be able to come to a conclusion on the emotionally charged atmosphere present, thus gaining a better comprehension of the themes present.

3. What do you think of the children mentioned in the last stanza? Why do you think the poet include the children’s response to the caged bird?

This question serves to stimulate critical thinking. Students are required to consider Kirkup’s use of children in the poem, their role and how it assists in the reinforcement of the tone and mood of the poem.

4. How does the tone and mood/atmosphere serve to emphasize the main theme(s) present in the poem?

The aim of this question is for students to be able to see how the poet through the successful use of language and imagery is able to create the tone and mood/atmosphere intended so as to clearly elicit the main theme(s) of the poem. By creating a link between tone, mood/atmosphere and theme, a better comprehension of the poem is thus created for students.

2 comments:

  1. An appropriate choice of poem for the level. The students should be able to identify the theme/ themes quite easily.You might want to ask more pointed questions like what the phrase "curious anxiety" means. I like question 3. Before question 4, perhaps students should be asked to state what they think is the theme of the poem first?

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  2. I need the main idea n explanation!!

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