Sympathy by Paul Lawrence Dunbar

Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the most prolific African-American poets of his time. Born to parents who were former slaves, in a time where prejudice was a huge part of every day life, a good bit of his poems revolve around racism and slavery. Although his poem, Sympathy can be read as a poem about slavery, it seems to be more about the racism and societal restrictions he faced in his own life. He uses very vivid imagery and symbolism to portray his entrapment and how his emotions evolve, as he is restricted from a world he wishes to be a part of.
Although Dunbar is known for using dialectic speech of blacks of that time in his poems, he uses language that would be classified more typically as white. If he had used dialect familiar to blacks of the time, he would have separated himself from the rest of society instead of presenting himself as an equal yet restricted man. Another tool Dunbar uses to make his point is organizatio...