In the poem "Sympathy," Paul Laurence Dunbar describes how he knows "what the caged bird feels." In the first stanza, the main idea is longing, with the speaker introducing readers to a beautiful, almost magical landscape, describing the "bright" sun, wind stirring "through the springing grass," river flowing "like a stream of glass," etc. By using sensory details to create such bold imagery, the reader is enchanted by the setting. However, it's assumed that because the bird is caged, it's retained from all this beauty and freedom. This creates a mood with a sense of loss and longing for all that freedom has to offer, because if the bird were free, it'd be able to enjoy these wonders like all other birds. Furthermore, it begins to create the sense of sympathy we feel for the bird, which could relate to sympathy for African-Americans during this time. Dunbar was the son of slaves, and …show more content…
In the second stanza of this poem, the author continues developing sympathy for the caged bird, and with that, African-Americans. The speaker says, "I know why the caged bird beats his wing/ Till its blood is red on the cruel bars," implying that the bird is so desperate and has such a ravenous desire of freedom that he'd do anything to escape and get it, even hurt himself. Then, it says, "he must fly back to his perch and cling/ When he fain would be on the bough a-swing," establishing that the bird wishes to be on a branch outside, but he has no choice to sit anywhere except "his perch" in the cage. This could be compared to how African-Americans weren't permitted to sit on
In “A Caged Bird”, it is made clear that this bird has never experienced the freedom of flying with the other species or perching atop the highest building. All it has ever known is the cage in which is has been kept and fed plentifully, yet not punctually, and nurtured with the love of an owner and proper care.
Paul Laurence Dunbar depicts this idea in his well-known poem “Sympathy” (one of my favorite poems!), describing a caged bird that longs for freedom. Dunbar establishes his knowledge of the bird ’s feelings, his desire for freedom (his motive of rebellion). Dunbar draws empathy from the audience as he describes the bird’s integrity in the descriptive lines: “I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars.” The caged bird goes to a dangerous extent to be heard, as he bleeds on his prison bars, for he is willing to do anything for his freedom— this shows his integrity and confidence in his values.
The tile of the poem “Bird” is simple and leads the reader smoothly into the body of the poem, which is contained in a single stanza of twenty lines. Laux immediately begins to describe a red-breasted bird trying to break into her home. She writes, “She tests a low branch, violet blossoms/swaying beside her” and it is interesting to note that Laux refers to the bird as being female (Laux 212). This is the first clue that the bird is a symbol for someone, or a group of people (women). The use of a bird in poetry often signifies freedom, and Laux’s use of the female bird implies female freedom and independence. She follows with an interesting image of the bird’s “beak and breast/held back, claws raking at the pan” and this conjures a mental picture of a bird who is flying not head first into a window, but almost holding herself back even as she flies forward (Laux 212). This makes the bird seem stubborn, and follows with the theme of the independent female.
The bird that was once free with the freedom of the sky to enjoy, is now caged inside a birdcage with no relief and loss of freedom. No opportunity for the bird, only to be trapped in its own delusion to only hear rumors of the northern lands. The bird is a representation of the slaves in the southern states, with the sky representing America at the time being once a land of the free, opportunity and free religion. Slavery is represented as the bird cage, caging the freedom for the slaves. During this time slavery was popular in the Southern states in the 19th century. Frederick Douglass a slave in the 19th century, who published a book of Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass in 1845. He showed his experience as a slave and his moral
Initially, the poem appears to be about an observer forming a connection with a blackbird that he encounters many times. Then the reader realizes that the poem is by Stevens and something else must be going on- and they are correct. In order to see the entire picture, it is very important to look at the bits and pieces that create it. The meaning of each individual part, the setting, the usage of literary devices such as distinct symbolism, and versatile thematic messages are all very important in creating a clear understanding. The path has been laid out, now it is time to shred this work into pieces!
To continue, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Maya Angelou, and Alicia Keys have utilized various forms of literary devices in their works to fully explain and emphasize their main theme and opinions. For example, in Dunbar’s poem, ‘Sympathy,’ there is a strong use of metaphors, which is a phrase or word that represents another object or idea that it would not normally be related to. In the poem, the author uses a caged bird to somewhat symbolize racially oppressed African Americans in the 1800s. The poem includes, “I know why the caged bird sings, ah me…” “When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core…” By using the symbol of the caged bird in the poem, the author
She accomplishes this through her use of imagery and allusion. Johnson describes the abilities of women by illustrating the life of a free bird. A woman is “a lone bird, soft winging, so restlessly on,/ Afar o’er life’s turrets and vales does it roam/ In the wake of those echoes the heart calls home.” (“The Heart of a Woman” 2-4). This imagery allows the reader to visualize a bird flying over mountains and valleys, and living its life freely. This bird is able to do what it wishes without being told what to do. The poem then ends with the haunting image of the bird being locked up in “sheltered bars” (“The Heart of a Woman 8). By contrasting the actions which women partake, Johnson attempts to inform women of their “unrealized ambitions and the pain that can emerge from domesticity” ( Brown). There are many opportunities for women to live life freely rather than existing as a housemaid. Johnson hopes to warn women to not allow their life become limited, because she lived with a husband who implored her to become the stereotypical housewife. She did not listen to his desires and wrote. Johnson wishes to encourage other women to have the courage to grasp their own lives as well. Johnson also encourages women by alluding to Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy.” As depicting the heart of a woman as “tr[ying] to forget it has dreamed of the stars/ While it breaks, breaks, breaks on the sheltering bars.” (“The Heart of a Woman” 7-8), Johnson references the caged bird in Dunbar’s poem. His poem is about a captive bird that beats its wings against the bars of its cage (Brown), because it wants to be free and live its life. If the reader picks up on this allusion, they realize the connection between the poems and the severity of Johnson’s warning. Johnson portrays domesticity as being caged while freedom is just beyond one’s grasp.
Such as the poem The Caged Bird sings.
There are many different ways someone is considered to be free, the direct definition is to enjoy personal rights or liberty, this can be interpreted in different forms. In their poems “Caged Bird”, and “Sympathy”, Maya Angelou and Paul Laurance Dunbar use caged birds to represent what it means to be free. They both use birds to convey a better image for the reader. Birds are used in both poems of “Caged Bird” and “Sympathy” as a central image because the caged birds are metaphors for true freedom and hope.
In the 1890’s till the early 60’s, people of color were segregated. They were treated as if they did not have a value and were not worth much, for this reason they and due to the Jim Crow laws they believed they did not have a voice. Therefore, in order to express these emotions they had to find alternative and nonviolent ways; such as poetry. For instance, in “Sympathy”, written by Paul Laurence Dunbar as well as “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou's, both birds represent colored people trying to stop segregation while being restricted on oppressed. Then again, one takes action physically while the other spread awareness verbally to the problem.
The novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings goes through the childhood of Maya Angelou as she faces the difficult realities of the early South. This novel does not do a very good job at portraying the hardships of the blacks because she
bird as the metaphor of the poem to get the message of the poem across
I chose these three poems because the subject matter appealed to me and I believe that the poems convey their meaning very effectively. Upon researching the poems, I discovered that Caged Bird was in fact inspired by Sympathy, which accounts for the similarities in language and imagery, as outlined below. All three poems deal with the subject of freedom using the imagery of birds; On Liberty and Slavery is narrated as a human plea for freedom, and makes reference to birds in that context, whereas Caged Bird and Sympathy both use the imagery of caged birds to explore the theme of loss of freedom. The symbolism of birds is used to depict freedom, as birds are essentially without constraints; in comparison to the limitations of humans, they have limitless possibilities. When a bird is caged, however, it loses that potential and is restricted not by its own limitations, but the limits set by another.
In the “Caged Bird” Angelou’s comparison to the caged bird was African-Americans in the society they were living in. She symbolized the bird with African-Americans experiences. In the second stanza the poem states “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing”. This is comparison to African-Americans in their society. When African- Americans were enslaved they use to sing songs to uplift their spirits because that’s all they could do. They were physically bound and mentally brain-washed. The songs was there way of showing they still had fight left in them. In the fourth stanza it states “The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own”. This is saying the while African-Americans were enslaved and oppressed they watched Caucasians be free and do as they pleased. Although at the time African-Americans never experienced freedom they yearned for it. They knew it had to be better then what they were enduring. Racism is considered the cage around the caged bird, and it means not getting treated fairly with jobs, medical treatment, and even get
Throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, racism is a frequent obstacle that non-whites had to overcome. When Maya is young, she doesn’t recognize the racism and discrimination as well as her grandmother does. As Maya gets older, she begins to recognize and take notice to the racism and discrimination towards her and African Americans everywhere. Maya may not recognize the racism and discrimination very well at her young age, but it still affects her outlook on life the same way it would if she had recognized it. The racism and discrimination Maya faced throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, affected her attitude, personality, and overall outlook on life in a positive way.