Read the passage from “the caged bird.”

but a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

what is the literal meaning of stalks?

a. the stem or main axis of a plant
b. the slender supporting part of anything
c. to pursue or approach prey stealthily
d. to walk with measured, stiff strides

The Caged Bird by Maya Angelou, the poet highlights the plight of the bird by contrasting her with the free bird.

In the above stanza the bird is caged held by "bars of rage". Being in a cage she is stalking around which refers to (D.)to walk with measured, stiff strides. Her stalking in cage refers to the frustration and anger. She is in so rage as she understands that she can't escape these bars. hence, she is unable to visualize what the free birds can do. Therefore, through these metaphors poet highlights the feeling of prejudice, slavery, and ignorance among people.

a. the scene is structured as a dialogue between two characters in their own informal language.

the answer is somber