Sympathy Poem Rhetorical Devices

(Hook). The poem “Sympathy”, by Paul Laurence Dunbar published 1899 which inspired the title to Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. The articulation of this poem derives from such aspects as the use of rhetorical devices, and overall meaning of the piece being strengthened by these interlocked aspects. Driving people to become aware of their situations and fight against the driving forces rather than giving into them.
Structurally this poem is divided into three stanzas with seven lines within each. A lyrical poem which gives a much more pleasant tune than any caged bird. It has a lot to do with imprisonment. The rhyme scheme: ABAABCC, where each letter represents that line's end rhyme. The regular form, the consistent meter, the strict pattern of the rhyme scheme, all of these things create a subtle, yet persistent, sense of confinement. Giving the reader the illusion their trapped in the cage right along with the bird.

Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, generally the first sound of a word. Seen in such lines as “”(). Anaphora, the repetition of words, or closely related words, to introduce successive clauses or lines, for emphasis, this can be observed in the third and fourth lines of each stanza “” (), contrasting ending words such as grass and glass, cling and a-swing, and free and glee all share similar endings. Symbolism of the singing is speaking out rather than being silent and taking such abuse quitely. The use of these help the reader understand