Mastodon (Symbol)
The mastodon symbolizes the deepest past. Angelou describes fossils as the only remaining evidence of the mastodons' prehistoric world, emphasizing the inaccessibility of this time period and of the mastodons' experience. In fact, the poem informs us, we have no way to know even how the mastodons felt about their coming extinction. By alluding to such a distant point in time, Angelou makes the more recent American history mentioned later in the poem feel relatively immediate and urgent. The mastodons and the prehistoric era they symbolize form a contrast with modern history, so that all of modern history seems inextricably related and recent.
Morning (Symbol)
Morning, light, and daybreak are the symbols around which this poem revolves. Morning symbolizes the future and a fresh start. Importantly, Angelou chooses a cyclical pattern to represent the future. The morning is not a complete break with the night, but is instead the next step in a constantly-moving cycle. This makes sense, given Angelou's argument that a better future is formed, not from ignoring the past, but from thoughtfully incorporating lessons from the past. Furthermore, morning is an element of the natural world—making the symbol doubly suitable, since Angelou argues that a better future is contingent upon humans making peace with nature.
