The cries of the dead souls Dante encounters in this canto are referred to as being like grains of sand. Sand has traditionally been transitory and weak. Each grain is also tiny; no one remembers it. This shows how tiny the individual soul is in relation to God—and how small the suffering is. The souls' response to their current situation symbolizes the potential fate of the unbeliever, and the mingling of deceased humans with cowardly angels is a direct portrayal of how little regard Dante (or, by extension, anyone in his society) had for the uncommitted. This symbolizes that existence is a war; you must choose a side.
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