In detail explain the central theme of the poem "Sympathy".
Answers
Paul Dunbar's poem "Sympathy" expresses the understanding that the speaker has with the bird confined to a cage. He sings in the same way that the slaves sang spirituals in the field: music says something to the soul; moreover, it even nourishes the soul.
The theme of Dunbar's poem "Sympathy" is about his feelings regarding a life imprisoned. For Dunbar, he recognizes the importance of being free: free to be able to experience the wonders of nature and free to experience the feeling of not giving up.
The bird he describes in the poem is one who must sit in a cage knowing what it is missing. Nature, both around Dunbar and the bird, explodes with freedom and the ability to experience life. Given the bird is caged, it can only look out into life, try to break free, and know that it will only experience life from this singular aspect.
For Dunbar, the comparison between himself and the bird represent the fact that he knows what it is like to live a life caged. He recognizes the pain that it causes trying to break free from the chains of life which bar him from experience. It is through this comparison that Dunbar creates a metaphor for his own life.
Explanation:
In detail explain the central theme of the poem "Sympathy".