Knowing Why a Caged Bird Sings

Knowing Why a Caged Bird Sings

The words “sympathy and empathy” are often used interchangeably. Though similar, they are actually different in emotional meaning. However, in Paul Laurence Dunbar's “Sympathy,” both words are absolutely appropriate. Dunbar's poem is rich in both imagery and emotion, a very evocative piece of literature that actually inspired the title of fellow poet and writer Maya Angelou's most famous (and personal favorite book): “I know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Much like the duality of evocation in Dunbar's poem--his ability to make us both feel for the caged bird (sympathy) and feel like the caged bird might (empathy), is similar to the duality of meaning between Angelou's book and the poem itself.

Though similar, Angelou concludes that the caged bird sings “...because it has to.” (Angelou 6) Whereas Dunbar's poem hints that the singing is not a mechanism for which to keep the bird alive, as it were; but rather, as is stated in the following lines: “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...” (Wagner 12) the protestation of the bird at being caged.

“Sympathy” is poem that is abundant in imagery, each stanza of the poem brings to the mind's eye the struggle of the bird, but not simply the external struggle, as was alluded to in the preceding quote, the internal struggle of the bird, his very agony at being caged is translated into a mental picture of the bird's psychological, as well as physical struggle. In a poem, a good poet is able to establish a visual in the reader's mind, and Dunbar does this admirably in “Sympathy” as each line creates in the reader's imagination an exact setting, both illustrating where the bird is currently, and how the bird feels about this, as opposed to where the bird longs to be--outside, free.

Imagery's (in poetry) most basic definition is the ability of a poet's words to evoke an image in the reader's mind. However, this can be done in multiple ways; for example, dramatic situations and dramatic monologue, which simply means that the reader of the poem realizes the setting and particular situation depicted in the poem, this happens immediately in “Sympathy” when Dunbar begins by saying: “I know what the cage bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; when the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, and the river flows like a stream of glass.” (Wagner 12) These lines and the imagery that lies therein, not to mention the beautifully wrought rhythm and cadence, immediately brought to mind not merely a beautiful afternoon, but the longing of the bird to be a part of it. This is a particularly well written line in that it evokes a visual, aural and tactile “image” reaction as well.

Another device Dunbar deftly uses in “Sympathy” is the onomatopoeia, the use of word that sounds like its meaning. E.G. “...the caged bird beats its wing...” One can hear the frantic beating and raging of the bird in that