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Harlem Renaissance Paul Laurence Dunbar Analysis

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Immersed in passion for art, growing acceptance of the black community, and a booming economy, Harlem, New York was enduring the 1920’s era what is now known be the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is not only responsible for the roots of black culture in the United States, but it stood as an advocate for African American rights. Every artistic media was flourishing with ideas of equality among the races; things such as poetry, songs, and stories flooded the minds of the American people and paved the way for change.
By expressing tones of sorrow and imprisonment, poets such as Paul Laurence Dunbar were able to inspire their readers by promoting the dire need for a revolution in the minds of the American people. Known as …show more content…

I believe that the stanzas show the evolution of how one deals with oppression. As a child, one may question why the white girl is allowed to be somewhere when you aren't; becoming taunted by the things you want but can never have. Then as a young adult, outrage takes hold and violence can occur. As an aged adult, I would imagine people would feel upset for the lack of change and sorry for the future generations. Torment, violence, sorrow. The break between stanzas was like a breath, and before you can exhale completely you become overwhelmed with an entirely new emotion, flooded with more and more devastation. The theme of Sympathy is for the reader to recognize the harmful effect that racism and oppression have not only on the mind but the soul. The line, "It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core" showcases how deeply pained the author is by the disturbing American history. Dunbar prays to God for relief and help, while yearning for change. This poem shows that by growing up in a racist world, the mind becomes plagued with harmful ideas such as “I can’t.” The human soul may never know true joy in a world that takes them for

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