How does Maya Angelou portray the image of nature in the poem "Caged Bird"?

The primary natural symbol utilized in "" is the bird itself. Angelou
contrasts the free bird with the caged bird to show the innate conflict that a lack of freedom
creates.

The naturalsurrounding the free bird is hopeful. The bird is free to
leap "on the back of the wind," soaring freely to any destination it chooses and with
the aided guidance of a natural force. The orange sun is his to "[dip] his wing" into,
connoting a sense of warmth and brightness. The free bird knows no limits, claiming the sky as
his own.

The caged bird experiences no such joys because he is deprived of a
natural world. Instead, he peers through the "bars of rage" with clipped wings. The
caged bird can only long for the natural world that he was designed to be a part of; he knows
that this world exists and sings in hope of reaching it someday. Although he stands on a
"grave of dreams," he continues to "[sing] of freedom."

Therefore, the natural world is portrayed as a symbol of freedom and hope....