Hello, my name is Ms. Grant.

I'm so glad you've decided to learn with me today, we're in the unit single poet study, Maya Angelou, and today we're gonna look at two fantastic poems by Maya Angelou.

First things first, we need to get a copy of both of these poems. So you need access to a copy of "Still I Rise," this was published by Penguin Random House in 1978, and you also need a copy of "Caged Bird," which was published in 1983, also by Penguin Random House.

So pause the video and go and get copy of Still I Rise and Caged Bird.

Pause the video and go and get both of those poems now.

Welcome back.

Now you have both of those poems, we are ready to get started with our lesson.

We're gonna start off by looking at Caged Bird.

We're gonna read through, I'm gonna think, how do I connect to this poem? And then we're gonna further our understanding of Caged Bird by comparing it to another of Angelou's Poems, Still I Rise.

I cannot wait to hear all of your fantastic ideas.

I'm gonna be your support and guide as we work through today's lesson together.

Let's get started.

So by the end of today's lesson, you're going to have explored Maya Angelou's Caged Bird.

What does that exploration look like? Well, we're gonna read through the poem.

We're really gonna enjoy that reading.

I'm gonna think, how do I connect to this poem? What ideas do I see in there? What am I enjoying about the way in which this poem is put together? And then in the second learning cycle, we're going to do a bit of comparison between two of Maya Angelou's poems. We're going to be looking at Caged Bird, and we're gonna be looking at Still I Rise.

And comparison could be a really, really helpful tool when you're looking at a text.

So not just looking at it in isolation, but thinking, how important is this particular idea? Well, I can see in comparison to this other poem, it is very, very important because this poem seems to dwell on this particular idea.

Now, comparison can help us with lots of different texts.

You can compare a poem to a novel, to plays together, a play to a poem.

So comparison can always be a really, really good way to access some of those deeper ideas in a text.

So we're not only gonna be thinking about exploring Caged Bird today, but we're also gonna think, well, how do I compare two texts? What does that actually look like? And that's gonna be the focus of our second learning cycle.

But let's start off by really thinking about how we're gonna enjoy Caged Bird and reading that poem for the first time.

Now, there are some key words which are gonna help us unlock our learning today.

They're gonna help us achieve our objective.

They're gonna help us explore the poem in more depth.

Now I'm just gonna draw your attention to one of these words.

It's the penultimate word, persevere.

That is how you pronounce that word, persevere.

And it means to keep doing something even if it is difficult.

So you might persevere in a particular physical or mental challenge, for example.

Now, the other key words, if you want to pause the video and spend a bit of time with them, maybe read reading through each and making some notes, then please do, but they will come up in today's lesson, and of course, we'll talk about them when they do come up.

Our lesson outline for today, first of all, we're going to look at the extended metaphor of Caged Bird.

Now you'll have noticed that extended metaphor is one of our keywords or phrases, and we're really gonna tackle what is an extended metaphor and how can we see it in Caged Bird.

That's gonna be the focus of our first learning cycle.

And then as I said, we're gonna do some comparisons.

So comparing Caged Bird and Still I Rise.

So let's start off with the extended metaphor of Caged Bird.

As I say, we're gonna go through this term really carefully in the first learning cycle if you haven't come across it before.

So Caged Bird is one of Maya Angelou's most famous poems. Now I'd like you to discuss, let's look at its title.

What does the title make you think of? You could consider the idea of cage.

You could consider the idea of a bird, and you could consider how the two words contrast each other.

So pause the video and discuss this question using the bullet points to guide you.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

A really lovely discussion about this title.

It is very important to the poem, the idea of a Caged Bird runs right throughout the poem.

So let's take this word caged to begin with.

Lots people said, well, it makes me think of the idea of a small space that you are trapped in that you cannot get out of.

You might have the image of bars in front of you, those bars that you cannot get out of so that the gaps between the bars are thin enough that you can't actually get out.

And then we've got this idea of this bird.

Now a bird offering signals freedom because birds can fly wherever they wish.

And some people said, well, a bird sings often, lots of birds.

Well, lots of birds sing beautiful songs.

So we've got this idea of this bird that is meant to be free, that has this beauty in terms of its song, but is trapped in this cage.

So there's something a bit maybe wrong about the title, the idea that this bird is trapped in this cage.

So maybe some ideas of unhappiness here.

So really nice discussion of the title.

And I would say that Maya Angelou's titles are very, very important.

Of course, each poet picks the title of their poem.

And so it's a really good way to start thinking about it by thinking, well, what does the title make me think of? Maybe some of these ideas will be picked up in the poem.

Now, in the poem, Caged Bird, the idea of a bird in a cage is a metaphor for the experiences of the Black community.

So a metaphor saying something is something else.

So this idea of this Caged Bird, it is a metaphor for the experiences of the Black community.

Now, the metaphor speaks to the legacy of enslavement, but also the unjust laws and oppression of the Black community in the centuries following slavery.

So oppression, again, one of our key words, the unjust treatment.

So something that is unfair either for an individual or for a group.

So this metaphor, this idea of this Caged Bird, Angelou, is using it to explore the legacy of enslavement.

So the lasting impact of enslavement, but also the unjust laws and oppression of the Black community in the centuries following slavery.

So you can see these keywords really coming to the fore now, helping us to understand this idea of the Caged Bird.

Now, one of the strongest examples of these unjust laws were America's Jim Crow laws.

Now remember, Angelou was an American citizen, and as we will see, we're gonna go through the idea of these Jim Crow laws she experienced at the impact of these Jim Crow laws.

And that is why it is a good bit of context to apply to the poem Caged Bird.

So the Jim Crow laws late 19th century to 1965, separated people based on the colour of their skin.

This is called racial segregation.

And it was evident in almost every aspect of American life.

So segregated schools and transport system, so different schools and transport system based on the colour of your skin, segregated housing, healthcare, and employment.

So different jobs, different houses, different access to healthcare and segregated leisure facilities.

So different leisure facilities are based on the colour of your skin.

Now, whilst the Jim Crow laws stated that people were separate, so they did admit, okay, we are separating people, we are segregating people based on the colour of their skin, but the laws said, but you're equal within this separation.

But in reality, the facilities, conditions and treatment of Black people was inferior.

And in today's terms, we would see the Jim Crow laws as racist.

And so this bit of context, this idea, we're gonna see the exploration potentially of the Jim Crow laws in Maya Angelou's poem, Caged Bird.

Now in Angelou's Caged Bird, the idea of a bird in a cage is contrasted with the idea of a bird who is free.

So we've got two birds in this poem, one who is in a cage and the other who is free.

Now as such, the poem perhaps explores through metaphor, the impact of the Jim Crow laws, laws which angel experienced as a Black American citizen.

So we know the Jim Crow laws segregated people based on the colour of their skin.

We know that the conditions for Black citizens was often inferior.

And so we've got that separation explored in the poem through a bird in a cage contrasted with a bird who is free.

Because the metaphor is repeated and developed over a number of stanzas, we call it an extended metaphor.

And now we're going to look at these two terms metaphor, which you might have heard before, an extended metaphor in a bit more detail.

So metaphor, it's individual comparisons.

So for example, in Angelou's poem, Still I Rise, the speaker is compared to a number of different things you compared to suns, in stanza three, for instance, or an ocean in stanza eight, there are lots and lots of other comparisons, but they are all individual.

An extended metaphor, the same comparison is repeated.

So for example, in Caged Bird, the speaker develops the experiences of a Caged Bird over six stanza.

So she doesn't say the Caged Bird is and then moves on, but instead develops this idea of the Caged Bird as a metaphor for the experiences of the Black community.

Now we connect each experience to the experiences of the Black community.

So the extended metaphor runs throughout the whole of this poem.

We're not looking for lots and lots of different comparisons.

So if you're looking at a poem like Still I Rise, you might think, well, how can I develop an understanding of this speak by looking at all the individual metaphors or their individual resonances and connotations, and how can I build a picture of this speaker? But in Caged Bird, we're going to look at something a little bit different, it's still a metaphor, but it's the same metaphor repeated over a number of lines or stances.

So a check for understanding and then we're going to get to the poem.

We've learned lots about it, some of its context and some of its methods.

And now we're gonna get to read it, but let's do this quick check so we understand how an extended metaphor is different to a metaphor.

So how is an extended metaphor different to a metaphors? A, unlike extended metaphors, metaphors use like or as to compare one thing to another.

B, extended metaphors make unusual comparisons.

Metaphors make more expected comparisons.

C, extended metaphors can only be used in poems. Metaphors can be used in all text types or D, extended metaphors are developed over a period of time in a text.

Metaphors are used just once.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and select which response you think is correct.

Pause, video, and complete the check now.

Welcome back.

Well done if you selected D.

Lots of extended metaphors and metaphors there on the board.

So well done if you were able to read through and see that D is the correct answer.

I just want to go through a couple of the incorrect answers.

So we've got unlike extended metaphors, metaphors use like or as, well done, if you spotted that actually that is an example of simile.

So simile is also a method of comparison, but similes use like or as.

Extended metaphors make unusual comparisons, Metaphors make more expected comparisons.

No, both can make unusual or expected comparisons.

And C, extended metaphors can only be used in poems. Metaphors can be used in all text type, no, extended metaphors and metaphors can be used in all text types.

So D is the correct answer.

Okay, our first practise task, we're gonna read Caged Bird, and I would like you to read the poem twice if you can.

I would advise reading it out loud.

Poems are often meant to be heard.

They've got a musical quality to them and poets put in a lot of thought to the sounds that their poems make.

So I would advise reading it aloud if you can.

And after reading, I'd like you to discuss these questions.

How are the experiences of the bird in the cage different to the experiences of the bird who is free? Why does the bird in the cage sing? Why do you think Angelou chose the idea of a bird in a cage as the extended metaphor? Why do you think this poem is so popular? Because it really is.

And you could consider the messages in the poem or the way in which the poem is written.

And I really want you to enjoy reading through Caged Bird.

If you'd like to read through it more than twice, then please absolutely do.

And then afterwards, your discussion is going to focus on these questions.

Pause the video, enjoy the reading of the poem and your discussion, and I'll see you back here shortly.

Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

So lovely to hear people reading through Caged Bird.

Many people chose to read through it aloud.

Some people chose to read it in their head, and then aloud.

So some different methods to help the poem come alive for you to help you connect to a poem.

And I would say every time you read a poem, that's what you're looking for.

A little bit of connection.

You might not understand absolutely everything that it is talking about the first time through.

You might understand nothing the first time you read it through, but reading to it, seeing if you can see any connection, that is a really, really good way to access the poem.

How do you feel about the poem? And of course, it's your feelings.

So there are no wrong answers there.

And so, I hope you really enjoyed reading through Caged Birds, and I could hear that these discussions afterwards were really fruitful in showing how the poem had resonated with you.

We're gonna do a bit of feedback before we move on to our second learning cycle.

So pupils discussed the most powerful moments of the extended metaphor.

So Laura and Aisha are thinking about the extended metaphor that was the focus of this learning cycle, to think about the comparison that is developed over a number of stanzas in the Caged Bird.

Now, Aisha says, I think it's the final description of the bird in the cage singing.

So that's the most powerful moment of the extended metaphor for her.

And his song is about freedom.

It speaks to the resilience and perseverance of the Black community.

So resilience, able to cope with hardship and perseverance, able to keep going even through intense difficulty.

So Aisha thinks the final moment, the description of the bird, singing of freedom is the most powerful moment of the extended metaphor.

And it is an absolutely beautiful ending to end on that word, freedom, you get that idea of hope, resilience, perseverance.

I completely agree with Aisha about this bird, even though he's in a cage and some of the descriptions of that Caged Bird hope been very difficult throughout the poem, we've got this amazingly powerful, resilient ending with that word freedom.

Now Laura says, I think it's the description of the uncaged bird who leaps, floats and claims the sky in comparison to the bird in the cage who has tied feet.

The comparison is stark.

So really obvious, a bit jarring.

And we realise the injustice that the Black community has faced.

So I really like how Laura has picked out some verbs here.

So the uncaged bird, the bird who is free, leaps, he floats and he claims the sky, so has a lot of freedom and Laura's right in comparison to the bird in the cage.

And those first two stanzas really draw attention to that comparison.

And Laura's saying, well, because of that comparison, you really, really understand the injustices that the Black community has faced more than if we just had the description of the cage.

But the comparison actually draws attention to the idea that one particular group of people is getting a better deal than another.

So two moments there of a really powerful of the power of the extended metaphor.

Now of course, like I'd like to hear your views.

What do you think is the most powerful moment of the extended metaphor? So you can look back at the poem and think, where do I think the power of the extended metaphor comes from? Now remember the extended metaphor runs throughout the poem.

So you don't need to think, ah, is this a bit of the extended metaphor or is this a bit of the extended metaphor? The whole poem is the extended metaphor.

So really I'm asking you to look for the most powerful moment to you in this poem.

Pause video and discuss the question now.

Welcome back, such a lovely discussion and here, I could really hear your connections to this poem because people had very different ideas about what the most powerful moments were for them.

And that is part of the beauty of poetry, that when you connect to it, it can feel that very personal connection.

So you might have completely different idea from someone else, but that is of course really, really valid because it's about individual connections with these poems. All right, we're ready to move on to our second learning cycle.

So in this first learning cycle, you have been completely focused on the idea of the extended metaphor in Caged Bird.

Now we are going to look at a comparison of two poems, both by Maya Angelou.

We're going to look at Caged Bird in comparison to Still I Rise, and that's really going to help us to understand Caged Bird in yet more detail.

Now, Aisha rereads Caged Bird and Still I Rise.

Then she considers the similarities and differences between them.

And she says, both poems use the word dream.

So really careful reading there from Aisha, good spot.

However, in Caged Bird, the speaker describes a grave made of dreams, this is in stanza five, it's quite a disturbing image.

By contrast, Still I Rise compares the speaker to a dream in stanza nine.

So a really nice comparison there.

She's drawing the two poems together saying there is a similarity, but what is the difference within that similarity? So they both use this word dreams, but they're using it for very different effects.

Now I'd like you to reread Caged Bird and Still I Rise and really enjoy the rereading of these poems. Again, if you can read them aloud so you can hear the beauty of Angelou's rhyme, rhythm and words.

Now after you've reread both poems, I'd like you to discuss some of the similarities and differences that you can identify and got some sentence starters on the board to support that discussion.

So both poems, what do they both do? However, I think Caged Birds, so really focus on one poem.

And then your third thing you need to do by contrast, Still I Rise, so then focusing on Still I Rise.

But enjoy that rereading and then have your discussion about some of the similarities and differences that you can identify.

Pause a video and complete these tasks now.

Welcome back.

So lovely to hear the rereading of both of those poems to hear that prime and rhythm really coming to the fore as we read through.

You can see why it can be so important to read poems aloud.

And then a really lovely discussion about some of the similarities and differences.

So some people saying, well, I can see that both poems explore this particular idea, but there are some differences in the way they explore this idea.

I can see that both poems really present the speaker in a particular way, but I can see some differences between the speaker too and some people focusing on methods.

So I can see that both poems really rely on repetition or the use of metaphor, but there are actually differences within this particular use.

So you can see how these sentence starters, drawing the poems together and then looking at those differences can be a really, really helpful way to understand both poems more deeply.

Now when comparing two poems, it can often be useful to ask yourself two questions.

What is the point of connection between the two poems or what draws them together and what is the difference within this point of connection? So let's have a look at an example.

So the point of connection between Caged Bird or one of the points of connection between Caged Bird and Still I Rise is both Caged Bird and Still I Rise present the strength of those who have been oppressed.

So those who have been treated unfairly.

So that's the point of connection.

Both the poems do this thing.

But the difference, so first of all, in Caged Bird, the bird is described as singing a song that is heard by many, stanza six, despite being in the cage.

So this definitely presents a strength of those who've been oppressed because we've got the Caged Bird who has been oppressed, but he's described singing a song that is heard by many.

So that is showing the strength of those who've been oppressed.

If we look at Still I Rise, we've got, whereas in Still I Rise, it says the speaker rises despite oppression.

So again, we've got this strength, but the strength is presented in a different way because it's not that the speaker is singing in this poem, but instead, she's described as rising against the oppression.

So we've got a really nice point of connection about the strength of those who have been oppressed, but we have differences in the way that that strength is presented.

So you can see why these two questions, what is the point of connection between the two poems and what is the difference within this point of connection can be really useful.

Now Aisha identifies another point of connection.

She says, both Caged Bird and Still I Rise, explore injustice.

So looking at one of the big ideas in both of the poems. Now I'd like you to discuss, what are the differences within this point of connection? So yes, both Caged Bird and Still I Rise explore injustice, but they do it in a slightly different way.

And I'd like you to discuss what are the differences within this point of connection? Pause the video, discuss this question referring to the poems, pause video, discuss the question now.

Welcome back, some really interesting discussions here saying, yep, I can definitely, definitely see that in both poems there is this idea of injustice, but actually it is presented in a slightly different way.

Let's have a look at some ideas that Aisha had.

So here are just some ideas.

So in Caged Bird it shows how unjust it is that some have freedom and others don't.

So the way they explore injustice is through this comparison.

Some have freedom and others don't.

But in Still I Rise, actually, this poem directly accuses specific oppressors of causing injustice.

So it's not so much about the comparison, but the speaker actually says, you have done this to me and yet, still I rise above it.

So we've got a slight difference here in that one poem is really employing contrast to explore injustice.

And the other has this more accusatory tone.

You might have had some different ideas to see how Angelou explores this idea of injustice between both poems. These were just some ideas that you might have come up with.

Now we're gonna do a check for understanding before we start thinking, okay, I'm gonna ask myself these two questions about the poems that we are reading, Caged Bird and Still I Rise.

So let's just remind ourselves what these questions are.

So we're gonna fill in the blanks.

When blank two poems, it can often be useful to ask yourself two questions.

The first is, what is the point of blank between the two poems? And the second is what is the blank within this point of connection? So I'd like you to pause the video, we've got the three words at the bottom of the screen and you're gonna fill in the blanks for these questions.

Pause the video and complete the check now.

Welcome back, well done for showing off your thorough knowledge of the questions that it's useful to ask yourself.

So let's fill in these blanks together.

So when comparing two poems, it can often be useful to ask yourself two questions.

What is the point of connection between the two poems and what is the difference within this point of connection? If you ask yourself those two questions, then you are really set up to compare and contrast the two poems well.

So our final practise task score today, you can see that there are two points of connection between Caged Bird and Still I Rise on the board.

And I would like you to discuss one or more differences within this point of connection.

So we've got both Caged Bird and Still I Rise put in strong, confident speakers and then both Caged Bird and Still I Rise explore the idea of resilience, strength even in difficulty.

So two really nice points of connection there.

Two points of connection, which can definitely be found in both poems, but there are different ways that Caged Bird and Still I Rise, present their strong speakers.

And there are different ways in which Caged Bird and Still I Rise explore resilience.

So pause the video and I would like you to complete this practise task, finding those differences within the point of connection.

Complete this task now.

Welcome back.

Such a lovely comparative discussion there.

I can see that you've really got to grips not only with the ideas in both poems, but also what it means to compare and contrast.

Let's do a bit of feedback.

So Aisha uses her comparisons to consider which poem she prefers.

So we've got some really nice ideas about the points of comparison, the way in which these speakers are presented, and the ways in which they explore resilience.

Now we can use that as a jumping off point to think, well, which one do I prefer? If I can see the difference between the two poems, I might have a stronger preference for one.

And thinking about whether you like a poem and why you like it is such a valid thing to do as a student of English.

Not just valid, but really, really important.

You're gonna read, I hope, so many poems across your lifetime.

And it's always really important to think, what do I like about this poem? Do I prefer this poem to that one? That's a really, the idea of connection, as I've been saying throughout this lesson is really important.

So let's look at Aisha's preference.

So she says, personally, I prefer the poem Still I Rise.

I think the speaker is presented as more powerful.

For example, she accuses those who have oppressed her, saying you multiple times and is quite explicit about some of the terrible things that have happened throughout history to the Black community.

I also really like how she repeats the title as the refrain.

The idea of rising seems to get stronger and stronger as the poem progresses.

So the refrain, the repeated lines or set of lines throughout a poem.

So I really like Aisha's response here.

She's got this personal idea of why she connects to this poem, but she's also got some quotations to really ground her preference in that evidence.

Now I'd like you to discuss which poem do you prefer and why? We've got some sentence starters on the board to support you.

Personally, I prefer the poem, I think the speaker is, for example, I also really like how and the work that you did on the differences between those two poems is really going to support you to make this decision.

Which one do you prefer? And of course, because it is about your personal preference, there is no wrong answer here.

So which one do you like better and why? Pause the video and discuss the question now.

Welcome back.

Such a lovely discussion to hear why people are connecting to particular poems more than others.

So some saying, yep, I really prefer Still I Rise, I love the beauty of its images.

I love those metaphors.

They develop a really complex idea of the speaker.

I also really love the final stanza where we've got that repetition of the title.

It keeps coming through, really speaks to the strength of the speaker.

Others saying, no, I prefer Caged Bird.

I thought the idea of the extended metaphor was a really beautiful way to explore oppression.

I find the context really interesting.

I really like the comparison between the Caged Bird and the bird that is not in the cage.

So lots and lots of different ideas to support which poem you prefer and why.

In summary, 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 America's Jim Crow laws, late 19th century to 1965.

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.

It has been such a pleasure to read Caged Bird with you and explore its extended metaphor, and I look forward to seeing you next time.