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Comparing Sympathy And Caged Bird

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Many members of society around us feel “trapped” in life, being stressed, depressed, or being discriminated against. In both “Sympathy” by Paul Lawrence
Dunbar and “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou, a similar theme about confinement and discrimination is shown. Maya Angelou wrote “Caged Bird” referencing to “Sympathy,” meaning both poems are similar. Both poems describe similar ideas and have similar use of symbolism. The different ways both poets emphasize their message help the reader understand the overall similar theme in both poems.
Both “Sympathy” and “Caged Bird” describe a caged bird that longs for freedom and is deprived from its needs and wants. The theme is that discrimination traps people, taking away their freedom and rights. In “Sympathy,” …show more content…

“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still… / the caged bird sings of freedom.” The caged bird in both poems symbolizes people faced with discrimination. Discrimination is the “cage,” preventing people from getting what they need, or giving people an inferior quality of life compared to free people who don’t get discriminated against. “Caged” people would want to escape, but they can’t because of society. They try many times, but usually they fail. It is only when they have perseverance and hope then they can escape. In conclusion, a theme in both
“Sympathy” and “Caged Bird” is that discrimination traps people, taking away their freedom and rights.
In “Sympathy,” Dunbar develops the theme by describing its actions and effects and using repetition to drive his point across. He describes the responses of the caged bird being trapped in a cage. “I know what the caged bird feels, alas!... / I know why thecaged bird beats his wing… / I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,.” He …show more content…

This is similar to the fact that it took more than 100 years for Black men and women to gain their rights: first being free from slavery, and then ending segregation. Dunbar also uses repetition to emphasize his message. He repeats the phrases “I know what the caged bird feels,” “I know why the caged bird beats his wing,” and “I know why the caged bird sings” to show the point that he understands the bird’s situation, and also showing empathy for the caged bird. Therefore, the use of repetition and the description of the caged bird’s actions help Dunbar develop the theme in “Sympathy.”
In “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou, the theme is developed through comparisons between a free bird and a caged bird. The free bird is able to fly and express itself without restraint, while the caged bird cannot. “A free bird leaps / on the back of the wind… / and dares to claim the sky. / But a bird that stalks / down his narrow cage / can seldom see through… / his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied…” Similarly, people not faced with discrimination can freely express their feelings and go places they

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