How is symbolism used in the poem ‘The Caged Bird’? What is the significance of the caged bird and the cage?

Angelou uses the metaphor of a bird struggling to escape its cage, described in Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, as a prominent symbol throughout her series of autobiographies. Like elements within a prison narrative, the caged bird represents Angelou's confinement resulting from racism and oppression.

Rascism

Explanation:

The caged bird represents the blacks being opressed, it's tied feet and clipped wings signify the way the blacks are tied down and can't achieve their full potentials. The cage is a barrier to the bird (blacks) it restricts the freedom of the bird and in reality,the cage represents bondage, restrictions, barriers.