The Bird
A bird, whether caged or not, is a traditional symbol of freedom simply by virtue of their unique ability to fly. Taking flight is about as equitable to being completely untethered and unfettered by chains as possible. Put that bird into a cage and the inherent symbolism of freedom is lent the tragic dimension of being kept in bondage.
The Cage
The cage is a powerful metaphor applied specifically to the entrapment of slavery as the omnipresent symbol of the origin of all African-American life. Beyond the poem’s specific meaning relating to blackness in America, of course, the cage can come to represent any circumstance in which the speaker might feel he is being held back from achieving his potential.
The Bird's Singing
That a bird still sings even when trapped in a cage endows it with a special symbolism. The bird sings outside the cage, but it is a happy tune. The bird still sings inside the cage, but it is not the same. The song thus represents anything that a creature is born to do; in the case of the speaker, he is born to write. If he is free, his writing will represent a more contented state of mind than if he feels trapped. This status of imprisonment applies not just to actual bondage; it could also be applied to a writer feeling trapped within a certain genre or writing on subjects chosen only to fulfill a financial need or writing to please the expectations of an audience. He will still write, but it won’t be exactly the same kind of writing as if he was free to compose whatever he wanted.
Painful Scars
The scars on the back of the bird that still bring pain is symbol for the legacy of slavery and the attempts to overcome racism. It is the pain of that legacy—the scars on the African-African experience—that drive black artists to sing their songs. Through the artistry of black writers, artists, composers and filmmakers, the shared experience of the scars they carry can be revealed. These songs may be painful, but even unhappy songs must be sung by a bird. It is in his nature.
The Escape of Perfume
In addition to knowing why the caged bird sings, the poet also knows why “the faint perfume from its chalice steals.” Unlike most of the poem, this is one of those lines of poetry that makes people hate poetry; its structure lacks the natural quality of speed that marks other imagery and use of symbolism. Although couched in florid language, the meaning is essentially the same as the repetition about the bird. What the line is suggesting is that the scent of a flower also feels the desire to be free and escape its bondage, thus perfume rising into the wind to be enjoyed by passing noses is another symbol of the aching to be free.
