Themes and Imagery in “Sympathy”

Themes and Imagery in “Sympathy”
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Themes and Imagery in “Sympathy”
The poem dubbed “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar brings forth the theme of social discrimination. The caged bird is not as free as others. As a result, the bird views the natural settings where it should live and play, but it cannot because the cage limits its movements and interactions. For this reason, the bird becomes chaotic and violent to the extent of beating itself up against the cage (Dunbar, 2021). Similarly, there is a sense in which the author embarks on imagery to establish the theme of social discrimination.
Imagery helps to distinguish between the inside of the cage and the natural setting. For example, when the speaker says, "Sun is bright on the upland slopes," the imagery helps visualize or imagine the warming effect that the sun rays bring forth on the birds that are not caged (Dunbar, 2021). Therefo...