The sympathy poem is talking about how the authors parents were slaves and were stuck and are trying to find a way out. The caged bird is a metaphor for the slaves. For example it says the bird is banging his wing on the cage trying to find a way out doing anything it can. So for the slaves in the 1800’s this was nearly impossible to escape but that did not stop them from trying and some of them would get hurt. Kinda like prison today. The free bird represents how they have an addiction to drugs or something else that is addicting. For example when it says but a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. I think it means that the
