Answer:
1.
In the first stanza of "Sympathy" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the poet creates a mood of confinement and isolation by using imagery to describe the setting. This is evident in the following ways:
- "I know what the caged bird feels" - The metaphor of a "caged bird" immediately creates a sense of imprisonment and confinement, suggesting that the bird cannot move or fly freely.
- "Ah me, when the sun is bright on the upland slopes" - This line creates a contrast between the brightness of the sun and the darkness of the bird's confinement, highlighting the bird's inability to experience the joys of the natural world.
- "Each narrow cell is a hell" - The use of the word "hell" emphasizes the intense suffering and discomfort that the bird experiences in its confinement.
- "But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core / But a plea that upward to Heaven he flings" - These lines suggest that the bird's only solace is in its spiritual connection to the divine, further emphasizing its isolation from the physical world.
Taken together, these images create a mood of intense confinement and isolation, highlighting the bird's inability to experience the joys of the natural world and emphasizing the depth of its suffering.
2.
The caged bird contrasts with the imagery in "Sympathy" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar by representing confinement and restriction, while the imagery represents the beauty and freedom of the natural world. Here are five ways in which the caged bird could be developed as a symbol:
- The caged bird symbolizes confinement and restriction in contrast to the freedom and beauty of the natural world portrayed in the imagery.
- It can represent the struggle for freedom and equality, the resilience of the human spirit, or limitations on artistic expression and creativity.
- It can also symbolize imprisonment and confinement, while also representing hope and the possibility of freedom and liberation.
3.
"Sympathy" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar can be interpreted to have several themes, including:
- Oppression and confinement: The poem highlights the suffering of the caged bird and can be seen as a metaphor for the oppression and confinement experienced by individuals or groups in society.
- Resilience and hope: Despite the bird's confinement, it continues to sing and express itself, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit and the possibility of hope even in difficult circumstances.
- Spirituality and transcendence: The bird's connection to heaven and the spiritual realm suggests the importance of faith and transcendence in finding solace and meaning in life.
- Freedom and liberation: The contrast between the bird's confinement and the beauty of the natural world suggests a yearning for freedom and liberation, both physical and psychological.