Analysis Of Maya Angelou's 'Symanthy'

“Symanthy”, a poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar in 1899, tells the story of a bird stuck in a cage as it beats its wing on the bars and wails for help. “Caged Bird”, a piece by Maya Angelou in 1983, depicts a free bird, dancing through the wind, and a caged bird, crying for helps with its clipped wings and his binded feet. The caged birds from these poems are very similar, but the caged bird’s call for help from Maya Angelou’s poem is heard and hints that help is in the future for the bird, which makes Angelou’s poem more meaningful than Dubar’s. “Sympathy”, the poem, shows the pain and true reason why the caged bird sings. Dunbar reveals why the caged bird sings when he says,”It is not a carol of joy or glee,/… But a plea that upward to heaven he flings-”(18,20). This quote shows the caged bird’s song is not one of joy or glory, but of pain and suffering. This quote is important because the bird’s freedom may be taken away, but his hope cannot. The author shows he knows the pain of the caged bird when he says,”I know why the caged bird beats his wing/ Till its blood is red on the cruel bars/… When he fain would be on the bough a-swing”(8-9,11). This quote shows the author acknowledging why the caged bird is harming itself. This quote is important because the bird knows freedom is impossible and so it would bash its wing against the bars until it is free. “Caged Bird”, the poem, shows the contrast between the free bird and the caged bird. Maya Angelou depicts the free