Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me

As Angelou interwove prose with poetry throughout her career, certain common characteristics started to emerge. First, given her objective to write a series of autobiographies depicting the different time periods of her life, her poetry also includes autobiographical aspects. In “Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me,” the time ranges from infancy to adulthood, using the reflective perspective of an adult, a perspective Angelou had while composing the poem. In addition to autobiographical elements, Angelou’s conversational style is present in the poem. The use of “you,” which is directed at the speaker’s mother, also feels directed at the readers, inviting them into the story of a mother’s evolving relationship with her child from the child’s point of view. Angelou’s work is also known for its skillful incorporation of metaphors and similes. The most famous example is Angelou comparing herself to a caged bird in her first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Similarly, the poem title “Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me” suggests the major metaphor and theme of the poem: the mother’s ability to provide support for her child from infancy to adulthood.