The poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar is closely related to the novel I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. In stanza one of the poem, the message that Paul is extending is that the caged bird feels distanced or closed off from all the beauty around him of the world. Paul also used supporting lines to better explain himself. He used "when the sun is bright on the upland slopes and the river flows like a stream of glass. I know what the caged bird feels.",to give the reader a better thought about what the caged bird feels. The poem was based on the novel I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. This stanza was based on the part in the novel where Maya was raped by her father, Mr. Freeman, who she thought she could trust. Mr. Freeman threatens to kill Bailey...