Which of the following best describes the rhyme scheme of “caged bird”? a. free verse b. partial rhyme c. meter d. rhythm

The best answer seems to bee A. free verse.

Explanation:

When we read Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird", we realize she chooses to not follow a specific pattern. Angelou does not seem to worry about meter and rhyme, changing greatly the metric of her verses at a certain point in the poem. However, we can notice a few lines that present rhymes. Check the excerpt below:

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.

[...]

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

We might even be tempted to try to find some new and different, perhaps inconsistent sort of pattern to explain what she does. However, after reading a few analyses of the poem, I found nothing concerning a "partial rhyme". That does not constitute a possibility. The manner in which Angelou rhymes and the frequency with which it is done are not enough to fit into any rhyme scheme. Also, there seems to be no such thing as a partial rhyme scheme. This lack of consistency in rhyme and meter is called free verse. Thus, the only possible answer among the options given is A. free verse.