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Project Time!

What is theme?

In a group of 4, find 4 poems from the textbook for your group to analyze and find the theme and tone of each poem. You will present your findings this Friday!

Tone

Theme is:

Defined as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

Subject:

(topic/who or what)

  • The caged bird.

Tone, in written composition, is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject.

Theme:

You will be given a handout with further instructions and requirements.

(Indirect/direct underlying meaning determined by reader)

Key Word Examples: Proud, friendly, humorous, sad, fearful, reflective, etc.

Imprisonment on various levels such as:

  • Race
  • Gender
  • Sexuality
  • Economic/Class Status
  • Etc.

NOTE:

Example:

Love and friendship are frequently occurring themes in literature. They generate emotional twists and turns in a narrative and can lead to a variety of endings: happy, sad or bittersweet. The following are famous literary works with love and friendship themes

  • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It is important not to confuse a theme of a literary work with its subject. Subject is a topic which acts as a foundation for a literary work while a theme is an opinion expressed on the subject. For example, a writer may choose a subject of war for his story and the theme of a story may be writer’s personal opinion that war is a curse for humanity. Usually, it is up to the readers to explore a theme of a literary work by analyzing characters, plot and other literary devices.

Example

Father: “We are going on a vacation.”

Son: “That’s great!!!”

– The tone of son’s response is very cheerful.

Father: “We can’t go on vacation this summer.”

Son: “Ok. Great! That’s what I expected.”

– The son’s tone is sarcastic in the given response.

Every written piece comprises a central theme or subject matter. The manner in which a writer approaches this theme and subject is the tone. The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, and cheerful or it may be any other existing attitudes.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

Time to read and Identify!

Tone

What is the authors attitude? How does the author feel?

As a CLASS we are going to read and identify the subject, theme and tone of the poem I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

You Decide.....

But first, lets visit the author's and poems background to see if it influences the poem in any way

Most Popular Works...

  • I know Why the Caged Bird Sings
  • Phenomenal Woman
  • Still I Rise
  • The Complete Collected Poems

(fresh, sad, hopeful,bold, horrified, cautious, social, religious, political, dreary, remorseful,cold, brave, agitated, etc)

Accomplishments.....

  • Dr. Angelou has over 50 honorary degrees.
  • Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000.
  • Lincoln Medal 2008.
  • Professor of American Studies at Wake. Forest University.
  • 3 Grammy Awards.

The 1970's

  • Began working on and published I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
  • Wrote screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia

Living abroad...

In the 1960's, Dr. Angelou moved to Cairo, Egypt serving as editor of The Arab Observer for the English Language Weekly

In Ghana, Dr. Angelou taught music and drama at the University of Ghana while serving as editor of The African Review and writer for The Ghanian Times

In the 1950's...

  • Toured Europe with the Opera production Porgy and Bess .
  • Danced with Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham.
  • Recorded her 1st album Calyspo Lady
  • Joined the Harlem's Writer Guild

When she was your age...

  • Dr. Angelou earned a dance scholarship to San Francisco's Labor School for her love of the arts.
  • She dropped out to become the school's first African-American female cable car conductor.
  • She later returned to high school, received a diploma and gave birth to her son.

During this time....

The nation was swamped with racial discrimination and violence but Dr. Angelou received acceptance from her family, friends and community.

A Legend is born!

Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in Saint Louis, Missouri and raised in Stamps, Arkansas.

Theme and Tone in Poetry

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