A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

–“Caged Bird,”
Maya Angelou

Read the stanza. What is the figurative meaning of the phrase “floats downstream”?

1 answer

The figurative meaning of the phrase "floats downstream" in this stanza is that the bird is freely following the natural course of life, going with the flow and not being confined or restrained. This can be seen as a metaphor for embracing freedom and breaking free from limitations.