I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings worksheet

Directions: Answer each question with a complete sentence. Incorporate the question as part of your response.

1. What might be the theme of this selection?

2. Summarize this selection. Include two main points from the selection in the summary.

3. What is the setting of this story?

4. Based on information in the selection, why did Mrs. Flowers show an interest in Marguerite?

5. What does the author mean when she says that Mrs. Flowers is “the measure of what a human being can be”?

6. In what ways is young Angelou like a caged bird?

7. Although Angelou’s grandmother and Mrs. Flowers are very different, they get along very well. Why?

8. Angelou is embarrassed by her grandmother’s common way of speaking. Are people judged by the level of language they use?

9. Do you think that a person’s manner of speaking reflects their intelligence and worth?

10. Similes compare two things using like or as. Metaphors compare two things directly (My fist is a rock). Find one simile and one metaphor from this selection. Explain what each means.