... before. The pain still throbs because racism is still prevailing. Blacks gained rights but yet still unable to live in equality. In Angelou's "I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings", oppression is most dominant in line 26, "But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams." Still assuming that this line is referring to oppression, the dreams must be those of former slaves ... his own struggle and linking the cage bird to his own life, Dunbar makes the poem more personal. The title "Sympathy" is so suitable for the poem since it truly is about how the bird feels and how you can sympathize with th...

• Word Count: 810
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School