Paul Laurence Dunbar Extended Metaphor

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Recommended: Caged bird poem interpretation

The author, Paul Laurence Dunbar, uses his famous extended metaphor of the caged bird in his poem to emphasize the change in idea of why the caged bird sings. The progression the author uses to explain that the cage bird does not sing out of joy but out pain and sadness is quite clever. Beginning with describing the features of the world outside of the cage and avoiding the bird. To finally concluding with referring to the singing as,"...a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings." The quick change from the reading believing the singing to be accompanied with joy to it becoming a plea for help, assists in displaying the poem's meaning. The metaphor represents what if feels like to be oppressed, and to plea for help only to be ignored by the rest

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