Explain ‘fearful trill’ in Maya Angelou’s poem ‘I Know why the caged bird sings’.
Or, Why does the caged bird sing with a fearful trill?
‘Fearful trill’ refers to the song of the caged bird. ‘Trill’ means a quavering or vibratory sound, especially a rapid alternation of sung or played notes.
It was fearful because of all the uncertainty of his life, whether he would be free someday, whether he will get the unknown things that he longs for like a smooth and free ride on the back of winds that the free bird enjoys.
It’s fearful because the caged bird sings out of hope that one day in his lifetime he would be free but he is not sure if that would happen.