The Caged Bird ("Caged Bird")
In the poem "Caged Bird," the titular caged bird is in a sad, hopeless situation. His wings are clipped, his feet are tied, and the bars on the cage are thick. He only has the ability to sing, hoping his voice carries to those beyond himself who have the power to do things about his situation. This bird is a symbol for all those who are oppressed: tied down, discriminated against, and forced to give up freedoms.
The Free Bird ("Caged Bird")
In "Caged Bird," there is a stark contrast between the caged bird, who is completely stifled, and the free bird, who has the world open to him. The free bird represents those who aren't suffering from the effects of prejudice or oppression. Those people are the only ones who can do something about the oppression of the unfortunate, so they must listen to the song of the caged bird and take a stand against injustice.
The Bird's Song ("Caged Bird")
The caged bird's song in the poem represents the call from the oppressed to those who have the power to effect change. In another, more specific sense, the caged bird is Maya Angelou, and her songs are her writings: her autobiographies, her essays, and even this poetry. They are works of art that can incite the reversal of oppression, the cry for help of the caged bird that she hopes will reach the hearts of the people.
Dust ("Still I Rise")
In "Still I Rise," Angelou uses the imagery of dust to symbolize the nature of her resistant spirit. When dust is pounded or struck with any force, instead of falling downward, it flies up again (due to the displacement of air caused by the wake of the quickly moving hand in combination with the dust's minuscule mass - but the physics isn't the issue here). The harder you swing at dust, the faster it rises back up. This image is a picture of Angelou's spirit - there's no keeping her down.
Oils Wells in the Living Room ("Still I Rise")
Another image from "Still I Rise," Angelou says that she walks "like I've got oil wells / Pumping in my living room." Even though she's suffering oppression, she keeps an indelibly optimistic fighting spirit - change is inevitable, and she knows that even this oppression will pass, opening the canopy of the clouds to reveal the brightness of the dawn.
