Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What are the similarities and differences between a free bird and a caged bird?

Teaching Suggestion: Display the bird image linked below (or a similar resource) for students. Ask them to respond to the prompt using Venn diagrams, with one circle labeled “free” and the other “caged.” Students may work independently, in pairs, or in small groups. Invite volunteers to share entries from each section of the diagram.

• Bird Image
• This interactive Venn Diagram tool might be helpful to use during class discussion for students who are unfamiliar with the concept of a Venn Diagram.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the poem.

What is something in your life that makes you feel caged, and why? It might be a relationship, someone’s expectations, a responsibility, or something else.

Teaching Suggestion: Suggest that students illustrate their figurative cages with their answers from the prompt, using techniques like collage or illustration. Due to the private nature of the prompt, this activity may work better with the expectation that students need not share.