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The Free Bird and the Caged Bird

Taken together, the two birds the speaker compares in the poem symbolize the various forms of inequality that lead to social stratification. The term social stratification refers to the separation of society into different groups. These groups exist in relationships of hierarchy, such that members of certain groups enjoy more privileges than others. There are many ways in which societies are stratified through inequality. Perhaps the most obvious way relates to wealth inequality, which stratifies society into upper, middle, and working classes. Wealthier classes enjoy greater freedom of choice and movement than poorer classes. Yet there are other factors that contribute to social inequality, including race and gender. For instance, racism in the United States and elsewhere has stratified society in such a way that white people tend to enjoy more privilege than Black people and other people of color. Likewise, the ongoing effects of patriarchy continue to grant men more privileges than women. These three factors—class, race, gender—intersect in complex ways that split society into groups with unequal access to “freedom.” The comparison between the free bird and the caged bird shines a symbolic light on the uneven experience of liberty.

The Caged Bird’s Song

The caged bird’s song symbolizes art and its capacity to be a resource for resilience, even in oppressive circumstances. The caged bird’s imprisonment has curtailed his freedom, causing both physical and emotional harm. Yet despite the injustice of his situation, the caged bird retains his capacity for self-expression. Thus, even with clipped wings and bound feet, “he opens his throat to sing” (line 14). The song the caged bird sings comes from a profound experience of sorrow, and it offers a powerful expression of his longing for freedom. This act of expression helps to soothe the caged bird’s pain and keep his hope alive. At the same time, the sound of his song carries far beyond the confines of his cage. His message can therefore be “heard / on the distant hill” (lines 19–20 and 35–36), where it might find sympathetic ears. The expressive and communicative qualities of this song could arguably apply to any form of art. However, the caged bird’s song has an especially relevant relationship to African American musical traditions, which likewise emerged under brutal conditions of oppression. In this way, the caged bird’s song relates specifically to the important role music has long played in the cultivation of Black resilience.

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