Sympathy

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Poem

Paraphrase

Stanza 1:
Stanza 1:
I know what the caged bird feels, alas! I know how the caged bird feels.
When the sun is bright on the upland When he sees the sun shining on the
hillsides;
slopes;
When the wind blows through the grass,
When the wind stirs soft through the
And the river courses so smoothly;
springing grass,
He feels longing when he sees the first
And the river flows like a stream of
bird of the morning beginning to sing,
glass;
And when he smells the flowers-When the first bird sings and the first I know why the caged bird feels when
he longs to experience all of these
bud opes,
things for himself, but cannot because
And the faint perfume from its chalice
he is trapped.
steals-I know what the caged bird feels!
Stanza 1:
Denotation and Connotation:
Bird-- its denotation is that of the animal, but bird has a connotation of
freedom
Upland slopes suggests the higher elevations that birds can access easily
Wind stirs soft suggests the gentleness of natures touch; it is not confining
or painful
Springing grass suggests the lightheartedness and abundant growth in
nature
River flows suggests the free-flowing movement of natural elements
First bud opes reminds us of the time in spring when the flowers are just
starting to open
bright, soft, and faint perfumeupbeat, happy ideas
cagedsuggests oppression this very negative term in the first and last line
contrasts harshly with the positive words in the rest of the lines
Imagery: describing a natural landscape, using the pleasing connotations of all
these words
Rhyming pattern: ABAABCCcreates a complex unity among lines
Alliteration: Repetition of a consonant sound at the beginnings of words;
consonance: repetition of a consonant sound anywhere in a word
Line 3: When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, --We hear the sound
of the gentle wind through the grass
Line 5, 6: When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, / And the faint perfume
from its chalice stealsThis has the sing-songy sounds of spring coming
Simile:
Line 4: And the river flows like a stream of glass -- Comparison of the river to a
stream of glass creates an image of a very clear, clean river

Metaphor:
The whole poem is a metaphor that compares the bird to an oppressed human
being.
Line 6: And the faint perfume from its chalice steals -- comparison of the
unfolding petals of a flower to a chalice. Because chalices are use in religious
services, especially for communion, there is a sense of something sacred
happening as spring comes.
Stanza 2:
I know why the caged bird beats his
wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and
cling
When he fain would be on the bough
a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old,
old scars
And they pulse again with a keener
sting -I know why he beats his wing!

Stanza 2
I know why the caged bird flaps his
wings feverishly.
Until the cage bars are red from the
blood of his wings from the wounds of
flapping so hard.
For the bird must fly back to his perch
and stay there because he is not going
anywhere.
Even though he would much rather be
able to swing on a tree branch.
And even though the wounds on his
wings still hurts, And they throb and
sting, he continues to try.
I know why he flaps his wings in order
to at least try to be free!

Stanza 2:
Rhyming pattern: DEDDEDD
Imagery: imagery of unpleasant and painful things and wounds.
Connotation: The second stanza contains vicious words like blood, cruel,
pain, old scars, and sting.
Allusion: And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars -- Alludes to slavery,
an ancient form of oppression
Assonance: The words blood and would have resemblance of sounds.
Alliteration: Line 8 and 9- I know why the caged bird beats his wings, till its blood
is red on the cruel bars;
Stanza 3:
I know why the caged bird sings, ah
me,
When his wing is bruised and his
bosom sore,--;
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

Stanza 3
I know why the caged bird sings,
Even when the wings are bruised and
beaten and his chest is sore from the
exertion-Hoping that when he once again beats
against the bars, he would be free;
His song is not one of joy or happiness,
Rather it is a prayer that he sings from
deep down in his heart,
It is a plea that he sings up to Heaven--

hearts deep core,

But a plea, that upward to Heaven he
flings-I know why the caged bird sings!

I know why the caged bird sings!

Stanza 3:
Rhyming pattern: FGFFGDD
Connotation: contains mixture of these two ideas like bruised, bosom sore,
prayers, hearts deep core, glee, and plea.
Alliteration: Line 16 and 17: When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,--;
when he beats his bars and he would be free;
Allusion: Heaven -- allusion to biblical Heaven
Tone: Ah me-- it connotes the authors feelings into the poem.