As a result of the multitudes of eye-opening written works describing the African American plight, modern day society has become more progressive and determined to fight for racial equality. By recounting the persecution of African Americans, the poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Maya Angelou’s autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” contribute to the quest for equal rights. Moreover, these pieces of literature share a central idea as they both focus on the African American struggle. However, while Paul Laurence Dunbar expresses his lack of freedom through a lyrical poem consisting of a complex metaphor, Maya Angelou shares her encounters with racism in the form of an autobiographical novel. Despite their differences,
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In “Sympathy,” Dunbar provides the readers with an insight of how people living in a similar situation as the trapped bird feel like. Dubar achieves this by revealing that the bird must sorrowfully “fly back to his perch and cling” as its efforts to escape captivity are futile. In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya recounts her feelings as an African American girl. For example, it is clear that she had been influenced to see her “blackness” negatively as she describes it as a “heavy burden.” Therefore, the novel gives a voice to those who have felt identically to her; analogously, it grants the readers an idea of how African Americans were impacted by racism. Similarly, due to the extent of Dunbar’s descriptions of the caged bird’s agony, the reader is able to comprehend what oppression feels …show more content…
For example, Dubar uses the words “bright,” “stirs,” “soft,” and “springing” to describe the vibrant and dreamy scenery, creating a beautiful springtime description by using words with strong, positive connotations. In contrast, the bird is confined by the “cruel” bars of his cage, making his anguish and longing understandable. The description of the bird’s miserable situation serves as an important metaphor in the poem as it imparts the maltreatment our society had subjected upon African Americans. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is a narrative writing in the genre of literary fiction which contrasts with “Sympathy’s” poetic structure. Furthermore, Angelou uses an allusion to express her dissatisfaction with her life by explaining that literature gave her “a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist.” This quote reveals that her experiences with racism had created an undesirable Southern life that she wished to
In “Sympathy,” Dunbar provides the readers with an insight of how people living in a similar situation as the trapped bird feel like. Dubar achieves this by revealing that the bird must sorrowfully “fly back to his perch and cling” as its efforts to escape captivity are futile. In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya recounts her feelings as an African American girl. For example, it is clear that she had been influenced to see her “blackness” negatively as she describes it as a “heavy burden.” Therefore, the novel gives a voice to those who have felt identically to her; analogously, it grants the readers an idea of how African Americans were impacted by racism. Similarly, due to the extent of Dunbar’s descriptions of the caged bird’s agony, the reader is able to comprehend what oppression feels …show more content…
For example, Dubar uses the words “bright,” “stirs,” “soft,” and “springing” to describe the vibrant and dreamy scenery, creating a beautiful springtime description by using words with strong, positive connotations. In contrast, the bird is confined by the “cruel” bars of his cage, making his anguish and longing understandable. The description of the bird’s miserable situation serves as an important metaphor in the poem as it imparts the maltreatment our society had subjected upon African Americans. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is a narrative writing in the genre of literary fiction which contrasts with “Sympathy’s” poetic structure. Furthermore, Angelou uses an allusion to express her dissatisfaction with her life by explaining that literature gave her “a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist.” This quote reveals that her experiences with racism had created an undesirable Southern life that she wished to