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Sympathy And The Caged Bird Poem

535 Words3 Pages

In these poems, “Sympathy” contains a powerful meaning compared to the “Caged Bird” poem. In his poem “Sympathy”, Paul Laurence Dunbar reveals his acknowledgement of his relation to the caged bird by choosing proper diction. During the poem, he emphasis his knowledge of the caged bird’s pain and desire to have freedom by imagery and metaphors. As one analyze these poems, one can affect a person by how meaningful or powerful a certain poem is such as “Sympathy” because many people have sympathy or empathy for African Americans throughout these times of segregation. “Sympathy” proves to be a most meaningful poem for one can relate while others cannot. It reveals that the title “Sympathy” shows how one feel pity but the word “know” others can feel empathy or relation to the caged bird. “Sympathy… I KNOW what the caged bird feels… I know why the caged bird beats his wings … I know why the caged bird sings…”(1, 8, 15). In the beginning, he acknowledges his relation to the bird by emphasising. “I KNOW what the caged bird feels…” (1). Therefore, these poems give an example of how the author can relate for …show more content…

In “Sympathy”, the bird beats his wing to escape but then begins imploring or sings a prayer to the help of a higher power for freedom such as “Caged Bird”, which both have a metaphor that’s mutual. “When his wing is bruised and bosom sore… a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core, but a plea… Heaven flings… caged bird sings…” (6, 19-21). As analyzing and intricately the poem, it shows how some objects are symbolizing others. “caged bird beats his wing … Till its blood is red on the cruel bars… pain throbs in the old, old scars…”(8, 9, 12). Such as the caged being the segregation, being African Americans and the beat of the wing a movement towards freedom. The Civil Rights movement all began with each beat of the wing against the bars and each note they

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