Free Bird

The free bird symbolizes anyone who is able to operate in the world without the societal constraints of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, etc. For Angelou in particular, the free bird represents those who have been unaffected by systemic racism and sexism and the trauma attached to them—identities she explores in her longer memoir. By describing the free bird's movement through the landscape around it, the poem paints a portrait of possibility, but is quick to affirm that these possibilities and opportunities are only available to certain people.

Caged Bird

The caged bird symbolizes those who have been afflicted by cultural prejudice and systemic oppression of marginalized groups. Its status as "caged" represents the weight that these people, even in contemporary American society, will always carry with them. The caged bird's defining feature—its song—is one that, while beautiful to some, comes from...