Performing Maya Angelou's ‘Caged Bird’ | English | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Maya Angelou wrote a poem called 'Caged ______'. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- 'Bird' ✓
Match each word to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
- tone
  
  ⇔
  
  the emotion or attitude in your voice – written or verbal ✓
- eye contact
  
  ⇔
  
  looking at your audience ✓
- volume
  
  ⇔
  
  how loudly you speak ✓
In Stanza six of 'Caged Bird', Angelou says that the bird in the cage sings a song about "______". ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- 'freedom' ✓
Many of Angelou's poems explore the idea of resilience. Which of the sentences below use the word resilient (or its forms) correctly? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- The ship was very resilient, coping with even the most violent storms. ✓
- Those flowers are resilient – they haven't been watered and they’re still alive. ✓
- "Don’t stop!" said my coach. "Be resilient and work through the pain!" ✓
- All the fish died because they are very resilient to infection.
When was 'Caged Bird' published? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- It was Angelou's first poem.
- It was Angelou's last poem.
- It was published in between 'Phenomenal Woman' and 'Still I Rise'.
- It was published in between 'Phenomenal Woman' and 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'. ✓
Match each stanza of 'Caged Bird' to its focus. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- Stanza 1
  
  ⇔
  
  the bird that is free moves freely e.g. "leaps" ✓
- Stanza 2
  
  ⇔
  
  the bird in the cage can't move freely – he "stalks" ✓
- Stanza 3
  
  ⇔
  
  we hear for the first time the bird in the cage sings about "freedom" ✓
- Stanza 4
  
  ⇔
  
  the bird that is free thinks about "worms" and "owns" the sky ✓
- Stanza 5
  
  ⇔
  
  the bird in the cage "shouts" and experiences "nightmares" ✓
- Stanza 6
  
  ⇔
  
  a repetition of Stanza 3; ends on the word "freedom" ✓

Exit quiz

Match each word to its definition. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- gestures
  
  ⇔
  
  movements made with the head or hand to signal an idea ✓
- pace
  
  ⇔
  
  the speed with which you speak ✓
- tone
  
  ⇔
  
  the emotion or attitude in your voice ✓
What does it meant to perform a poem? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- to read it in your head in a lively manner
- to turn the poem into a play
- to watch the poet say the poem on stage
- to read it aloud making decisions about how to engage an audience ✓
Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird' relies on an extended ______? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
- allusion
- refrain
- simile
- metaphor ✓
- figurative
In 'Caged Bird', Maya Angelou describes the bird’s cage as "______" in Stanza two. ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- 'narrow' ✓
Which of the sentences below use the word 'experiment' (or its forms) correctly? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- When I was young, I experimented with a range of hair colours. ✓
- I want to experiment with different ways to revise for my exams. ✓
- I always go to the same shop after school; I'm experimental in that way.
- I experimented with netball, football and tennis before deciding which to do. ✓
Which of the sentences below use the word 'triumphant' (or its forms) correctly? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
- Many of Angelou's poems present triumphant, powerful speakers. ✓
- The dinner was a triumph: everyone said the food was delicious! ✓
- I triumphant when I won the race.
- They looked triumphant as they faced their first loss.

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

When performing a poem, you should make informed decisions about the pace, volume, and tone of your voice.
Your pace, volume and tone could be very different at different moments of the poem.
Experimenting with different ways of saying a poem can be a good way to decide on how you ultimately want to perform it.
You will also want to consider body language and eye contact when performing a poem.
When you don't know a poem by heart, you should consider how to maintain a good level of eye contact with your audience.

Common misconception

Performing poetry is just about reading it aloud.

Watching people perform poetry is very popular. The most engaging performers carefully consider how they will say the poem, and how they will engage with their audiences.

Keywords

Triumphant - expressing joy and happiness after a victory or achievement
Tone - the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal
Gestures - movement of a part of the body (often hand or head) to signal an idea or meaning
Experiment - to try something out