“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Sympathy” uses the metaphor of a caged bird to express the pain of oppression and the yearning for freedom. Written at the end of the 19th century, the poem reflects the struggles of African Americans under slavery and racial discrimination while also employing universal themes of suffering and resilience. Through repetition, metaphor, and structure, Dunbar conveys both personal and collective grief. When compared with Browning, Donne, and Frost, the poem highlights poetry’s ability to transform metaphor into commentary on human experience.
References
Browning, Robert. “My Last Duchess.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11 ed. 2013. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: W.W. Norton. 667. Print.
Donne, John. “The Flea.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11 ed. 2013. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: W.W. Norton. 504. Print.
Dunbar, Paul, Laurence. “Sympathy.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11 ed. 2013. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: W.W. Norton. 536. Print.
Frost, Robert. “The Road not Taken.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11 ed. 2013. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: W.W. Norton. 683. Print.
Reference
StudyCorgi. (2025, September 18). “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. https://studycorgi.video/sympathy-by-paul-laurence-dunbar/