Sympathy by Paul Lawrence Dunbar I know what the caged 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; When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals-- I know what the caged bird feels! I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till …showed first 75 words of 781 total…

…showed last 75 words of 781 total…the author repeats that he knows what the caged bird is going through. Using the bird as an analogy to his own emotions has illustrated his feelings very well. This poem struck me because I, too, have felt irrevocably trapped, and I believe everyone has felt the same way at one time or another. This poem is rightly named "Sympathy" because that is what it generates for the author of such poignant and meaningful words.