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‘Sympathy’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar expresses both compassion and understanding toward the feelings of captivity experienced by a caged bird. ‘Sympathy’ begins with the speaker exclaiming that they “know” what a caged bird feels. Cooped up inside — all they can do is watch as the beautiful day passes outside.
- Male
- May 13, 1994
- Poetry Analyst
Dunbar was a Black man born to formerly enslaved parents, and "Sympathy" is typically read as a cry against racist oppression in the United States The poem provided the title for Maya Angelou's famous 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Read the full text of “Sympathy”
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- Summary of Sympathy
- Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “Sympathy”
- Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Sympathy”
- Quotes to Be Used
Popularity of “Sympathy”: Paul Lawrence Dunbar, a renowned African American poet, wrote the poem. Sympathy is a thought-provoking literary piece about slavery and freedom. It was first published in...“Sympathy” As a Representative of Sorrow: As this poem is about the caged bird, the poet explains how the bird feels after deprived of the pleasures of life. This feeling leads him to protest again...Major Themes in “Sympathy”: Struggle, prejudice, and social discrimination are the major themes of this poem. Throughout the poem, the caged bird tries his best to win freedom but fails. Although h...literary devices are tools used by writers to present their ideas, feelings, and emotions. They also make the poem and stories appealing to the readers. Paul Lawrence Dunbar has used various literary devicesto enhance the intended impacts of his poem. Some of the major literary devices have been analyzed below. 1. Imagery: Imageryis used to make th...
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem. 1. Stanza: A stanzais a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each having seven lines. 2. Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABAABCC rhyme scheme, which continues until th...
These two lines are useful to the people who realize about wildlife and the value of freedom in general.
“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a powerful poem that touches the depths of the struggle for freedom and the pain of captivity. Written by Dunbar, an African American poet at the turn of the 20th century, this poem is often interpreted as a metaphor for the racial discrimination and oppression that African Americans faced during his time.
Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem titled "Sympathy" is a metaphor for what it means to be a black male during the 1800s. As a poet, Dunbar was praised as the Poet Laureate of the black race, but at the same time he was criticized for being too pro-white within his writings.
" Sympathy " is an 1899 poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar, one of the most prominent African-American writers of his time, wrote the poem while working in unpleasant conditions at the Library of Congress. The poem is often considered to be about the struggle of African-Americans.
Sympathy. By Paul Laurence Dunbar. I know what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, And the river flows like a stream of glass; When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—. I know what the caged bird ...
