Rock

Like its counterparts the River and the Tree, the Rock broadly symbolizes planet Earth and its natural resources. The interactions between these elements of the Earth and their human listeners make the poem a powerful call for unity between nature and human society. In the early 1990s, people began showing more concern for the environment due to pollution and environmental disasters, and the Rock speaks to this concern. The Rock also represents courage, like that necessary to “face your distant destiny” (11) upon the rockface and not hide in “bruising darkness” (16) because of ignorance and threats.

River

The River symbolizes the interconnectedness of different societies on our planet. Angelou nods to this geographic sweep when, after sharing the Rock’s speech, she moves the reader “Across the wall of the world” (23) to where the River sings its song. Because the River can connect one “bordered country” (26) with...