Question

i know what the caged bird feels, alas!
when the sun is bright on the upland slopes,
when the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
and the river flows like a stream of glass.
when the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
and the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
i know what the caged bird feels!

i know why the caged bird beats his wing
till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
for he must fly back to his perch and cling
when he fain would be on the bough a-swing.
and a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
and they pulse again with a keener sting—
i know why he beats his wing!

i know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
when his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—
when he beats his bars and he would be free,
it is not a carol of joy or glee,
but a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,

select the correct answer
what is the mood of the poem?

○ a. alarmed
○ b. regretful
○ c. compassionate
○ d. melancholic

Explanation:

The poem contrasts the freedom of the natural world with the suffering of a caged bird that beats its wings until it bleeds, sings out of pain rather than joy, and longs for freedom. This tone of sorrow, longing, and deep sadness aligns with a melancholic mood. Alarmed (fear/unease), regretful (remorse), and compassionate (sympathy for others) do not match the poem's core tone of the caged bird's own sad, constrained state.

Answer:

D. melancholic