Seventh Reading

First poem.
When I first read this, I thought this was just a general poem about your dreams and how you occasionally forget them (much like Carl and Ellie in Up forgetting about their trip to South America until it was already too late for Ellie), only to be reminded of them, but with the wall of old age acting as a barrier, but how you can persevere and take that dream for yourself. However, after reading it seven times, I have come to the realization, I hope, that this is about oppression and "I have a dream". He is talking about equality, and how he occasionally forgets it, and how the wall of oppression tries to knock him down, but he refuses to lose. He will not back down.

Second poem.
With this poem, I had a pretty good idea what it was about, with subsequent readings only proving what I had in place. This poem is an allegory. The caged bird is the African-American, caged up by oppression and trying to sing, but everyone refuses to listen. The other bird is free, and he is enjoying his freedom. But the caged bird, all it longs for is freedom. And that is all it will cry for, so long as it shall live.

Third poem.
We had read and recited this poem last year, but I liked it so much I decided to give it another read. And I'm still getting the same impression I did when I read it sophomore year. This poem is all about originality and maintaining a fine line between honor and conceit. It's about the many qualities that define what being a "man" truly is.