Abul Basar asked 7 years ago
Meaning of ‘sighing trees’ in I Know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou? What is the figure of speech used here?
The soft trade winds when passes through the trees, it relaxes the trees which makes the trees take a deep breath or sigh. The tree is personified as it given the human ability of sighing by the poet.
‘Sighing trees’ refers to the sighing sound made by the breeze while passing through the leafy branches. This is an example of personification.
The Trade winds signifies the utmost power of the free bird who goes through and try to acquire and misuse the power he possess.Moreover, the sighing trees symbolises the sorrowful trills of the caged community to gain freedom. Simply the whole phrase says that The free people oppress the helpless caged people who struggle for freedom from the social, economic and political powers possessed by the free people.