The Exploration of Dedication in “Sympathy” and “Caged Bird” Martin Luther King, a notable revolutionary, once said Similarly, both poems "Sympathy" and "Caged Bird" examine related themes about dedication through the captured bird’s continuous persistence and use of his helpless song despite previous efforts. Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Sympathy” focuses on an enclosed bird’s constant fighting against numerous physical limitations from deserved opportunities, emphasizing his hopeless shouting for liberty. In contrast, Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird” explicitly discusses a trapped bird’s attempts to overcome various boundaries using his underestimated song and continuous perseverance. While both poems “Sympathy” and “Caged Bird” share a comparable theme about African American 's battle for deserved advantages by …show more content…
On one side, “Sympathy” consists of a predictable rhyming pattern and a controlled syllable count, providing an intentionally limited form.
In this quote, readers can observe the stanza’s restricted rhyming pattern and 7-10 range of syllables, explaining the enclosed bird’s restrained decisions and lack of individuality. Additionally, while the poem’s square-shaped structure creates the effect of a cage, readers can observe several lines advancing to the right, demonstrating the enclosed bird’s slight opportunity at fighting back against his boundaries. Furthermore, the poem’s time period in 1899 explains its regulated structure and indirect representation of African American’s hopeless opportunity for liberty. On the contrary, “Caged Bird” contains an erratic rhyming pattern and an unlimited syllable count, emphasizing a purposefully irregular