Analysis of the Poem | The Caged Bird

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In the first stanza, the poet’s personaA persona is a character in a story, especially the narrator. More focuses on the life of a free bird. The bird is portrayed as playful and free-spirited. “A free bird leaps on the black of the wind and floats downstream”. It is not restricted in any form. It takes advantage of the wind to achieve his desires. “dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky”. In other words, the free bird realizes its full potential and lives happily. 

Figuratively, the life of the free bird is archetypal to the life of the whites in American societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and... More. The freedom of the free bird across the skies portrays the freedom the whites enjoy. They enjoy all privileges and attain great heights in life.

In the second stanza, the persona contrasts the free bird with a “caged bird” 

“But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage”

The “narrow cage” and “bars of rage” denote the restrictions on the bird. In contrast to the free bird, the caged bird is confined to his cage with his wings clipped and his feet tied.

It is deprived