Analysis Of Sympathy By Susan B Anthony

Throughout human history, cases of racism, segregation, and the denial of woman’s suffrage have made ubiquitous appearances in America; in simpler terms, the natural rights of African Americans and women have been ignored. In these times of injustice, two obscure American citizens, a poet and a speaker, made monumental influences on the rights that people have today. Paul Laurence Dunbar, a great African-American poet, and Susan B. Anthony, a woman’s suffrage activist, each wrote a great piece of literature that showed their struggles for equal rights. Although Dunbar’s poem, “Sympathy,” and Anthony’s speech, “After Being Convicted Of Voting In The 1872 Presidential Election,” have the same theme of having equal rights among everyone, these authors’ purpose and expression of these two texts have different aspects to it that set it

In “Sympathy,” Dunbar imbues metaphors into his poem, depicting an image of what African Americans longed and fought for which is liberty and equality. According to lines 2 & 3, “When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the river stirs soft through the springing grass.” The “sun”, “wind”, and “grass” shows what they are missing. “The caged bird” represents the African- Americans at that time because both of them are longing for freedom and equality. As stated in line 11, “When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;” “The caged bird” or the African Americans yearn to be among the other birds or other people and have the same rights. Conversely, Anthony infuses technical language into her speech to make it sound knowledgeable and authoritative over her issue of voting rights. According to paragraphs one and five, “Under indictment”. “exercised”, “bill of attainder”, and “ex-post facto law” are all technical terms that show Anthony’s adept knowledge in politics; this helps to strengthen her