The literary device, symbolism, additionally indicated that black people were poorly treated even after they were so-called “free”“free.” Dunbar describes himself as a bird trapped in a cage with no longing to be in that position, as he proclaimed “[he] knowsthat he “knows what the caged bird feels, alas” (Dunbar 1). Since he was going through something identical, he understood what the slaves have felt during slavery. Consequently, the caged bird symbolizes African Americans who desperately wanted to be freed from their misery. The use of symbolism helps show readers how black people gotwere poorly treated because it gives analludes to the impact, andgiving additional meaning to the bird. Authors may use symbolism to intensify their writing, so when Dunbar had used birdsDunbar's using a caged bird to signify black people it made anit easy understanding ofto understand what they had to go through. A further literary device of symbolism develops the theme of how black people just wanted to live freely. The bird endeavors to escape the cage, only for the cage to barricade the bird from its justice. Dunbar relates to this because he has been treated just like a caged bird. Although the bird symbolizes black people, the cage represents the brutal ways in which white people would prevent their waysprogress to freedom. White supremacy would take away the basic rights and cause pain to black people as Dunbar explained, “Till its blood is red on the cruel bars” (Dunbar 9). Symbolism showed the readers that white people havehad shown no mercy in harming slaves, as Dunbar used the cage to signify white people imprisoning black people. Nonetheless, the injured bird appears to tell people that it will forever have scars and traumatic memories of being locked up in that cage.