CommonLit | Sympathy

Name:

Class:

Sympathy

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

1899

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) was an African American poet, novelist, and playwright. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American Civil War. In this poem, Dunbar uses the experiences of a caged bird to comment on the oppression of African Americans following the Civil War. As you read, take note of how the bird's experiences translate to the experiences of African Americans.

[1] 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;

[5] When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice1 steals2 -- I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; [10] For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would be on the bough a-swing; And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars And they pulse again with a keener sting -- I know why he beats his wing!

"Birdcage" by static416 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

[15] I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, -- When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,

[20] But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings -- I know why the caged bird sings!

"Sympathy" from Lyrics of the Hearthside by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1899) is in the public domain.

1. a large cup or goblet 2. Steal (verb): to come or go secretly or gradually

1

Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following identifies the central theme of the poem? A. Freedom can be achieved as long as you fight hard enough for it. B. No one can live a full or happy life if they are denied freedom. C. Birds specifically cannot be denied freedom due to their need to fly. D. With enough time, any person will lose the pull they feel towards freedom.

2. PART B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. "I know what the caged bird feels, alas! / When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;" (Lines 1-2) B. "When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, / And the faint perfume from its chalice steals" (Lines 5-6) C. "I know why the caged bird beats his wing / Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;" (Lines 8-9) D. "It is not a carol of joy or glee, / But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, / But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings -- " (Lines 18-20)

3. PART A: what is the meaning of "fain" in line 11? A. prefer to B. hate to C. pretend to D. refuse to

4. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. "I know why the caged bird beats his wing" (Line 8) B. "Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;" (Line 9) C. "For he must fly back to his perch and cling" (Line 10) D. "But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings --" (Line 20)

5. How does stanza 1 contribute to the development of the poem's theme?

2

Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. This poem was written following the abolition of slavery: why do you think the Dunbar describes the bird as continuing to be caged? How were African Americans denied certain freedoms even after the abolition of slavery?

2. In the context of the poem, what does it mean to feel alone? How is the bird affected by its isolation in the cage? What is the bird denied by being kept in the cage?

3

Name:

Class:

We Wear the Mask

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

1896

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) was an influential African American poet during the early twentieth century. He was the son of freed slaves and a friend of Frederick Douglass. Critics have said that "[h]e was the first to rise to a height from which he could take a perspective view of his own race. He was the first to see objectively its humor, its superstitions, its short-comings; the first to feel sympathetically its heartwounds, its yearnings, its aspirations, and to voice them all in a purely literary form." As you read the poem, take notes on Dunbar's use of figurative language and diction, and what these devices reveal about the poem's theme.

[1] We wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, -- This debt we pay to human guile;1

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, [5] And mouth with myriad2 subtleties.3

Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while

We wear the mask.

[10] We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile4

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

[15]

We wear the mask!

"Insomnia" by Evan is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 "We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1896) is in the public domain.

1. Guile (noun): sly or cunning intelligence; the use of clever and usually dishonest methods to achieve something 2. Myriad (adjective): countless 3. Subtleties (noun): small details or differences that are important but not obvious 4. Vile (adjective): extremely unpleasant; wicked or immoral

1

Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following best describes a central theme of the text? A. Identity comes from what we do and are, not what we look like. B. Resilience comes in many forms, such as silence, though this silence does have consequences. C. Tragedy should be openly mourned and not hidden away. D. Social Pressure can turn independent people into just faces in a crowd.

2. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A? A. "We wear the mask that grins and lies, / It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes" (Lines 1-2) B. "This debt we pay to human guile" (Line 3) C. "O great Christ, our cries / To thee from tortured souls arise." (Lines 10-11) D. "We sing, but oh the clay is vile / Beneath our feet, and long the mile" (Lines 12-13)

3. Why must the people (the "we" mentioned) wear the mask? A. The people wear the mask to protect their faces and themselves. B. The people wear the mask because they are told to by the larger society. C. The people wear the mask to keep their identities a secret. D. The people wear the mask to hide their suffering.

4. In the final stanza, what does the setting of the "long... mile" contribute to the message of the poem? A. The setting of a "long... mile" suggests that the masked people feel lost and cannot figure out which way to go, thus contributing to the message of identity. B. The figurative setting suggests that the masked people have been on a long 'journey' (or mile) facing many challenges but still have farther to travel, thus contributing to the message of resilience. C. The setting of the "long... mile" is paved with "vile" clay, implying that hiding one's feelings is wrong and thus adding to the message of honesty. D. The setting is paved with "vile" clay, implying that the masked people hate the world for making them walk such a "long... mile" and thus adding to the message's demand for change.

2

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download