What are the fears of the caged bird? Answer with reference to Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird."

The fears
of the caged bird are evoked via the refrain thatutilizes as the third and sixth stanzas of her
poem:

The caged bird sings

with a
fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for
still

and his tune is heard

on the distant
hill

for the caged bird

sings of
freedom.

The bird is said to sing "with a
fearful trill." Trill is defined as "a quavering or vibratory sound, especially a
rapid alternation of sung or played notes." The definition helps the reader to understand
that the bird's melody quavers, suggesting that the note is not definite and that there is a
certain level of uncertainty within its song. While this can be seen as symbolizing the bird's
uncertainty that it will ever achieve the freedom it so desires, the fact that the bird is
confined by its own "bars of rage" also suggests that even if/when freedom is truly
achieved, the bird may never be able to be free of the animosity built up as a result of its
oppression. Further, the fear within the trill can represent the "things unknown," the
uncertainty that will accompany true freedom. While welcomed, freedom is foreign and unfamiliar
to the bird, which makes it scary. If freedom is gained, the bird may be simply exchanging one
type of fear for another. The bird is then fearful of never gaining true freedom on a number of
levels: physical, mental, and spiritual.