Sympathy - Paul Laurence Dunbar

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The final stanza is about the bird singing, but not of "joy or glee" but of. The caged bird fights for freedom just as hard as slave would. Author repeats “Caged bird” at every stanza, is a metaphor for all African American so intensely fight for just a taste of freedom. Following word “Ah, me” is an expression of the grief and sadness the poet is going through segregation. “It beats its bars and would be free” in other words, caged bird beats it wings against the cage which is like society holding African American in by racism. The only way they would be free if society forgets the differences and establishes a community that accepts all races. In the end caged bird singing to express the severe trauma it is facing. The bird is asking God to let him leave his cage so he can enjoy the beauties outside the cage. Dunbar then states he knows why the bird does this, suggesting he does the same.

Over all, why not instead rescue the caged bird from it depression and conflictions? Why we must watch and stand by while the caged bird suffers and dies slowly from all the weights of its troubles? Author just wants to deliver a message, why we have stood by and watched as African Americans struggle as a slave like been the caged bird constantly. Each time, it is unable to break free and instead only injures itself, adding to injuries left over from past escapes. Desire for freedom makes them forget about frustrations and pain, just know keep beating its wings against the cage and crying out, praying for their freedom. Not just African American, generally, anyone under this kind of situation would tear the cages apart and bend the bars because everyone deserves to be free. Look deeply, the poem can be expressed to be as anyone seeing the freedom but not experiencing it.

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