You will write two paragraphs about the theme of a literary text from this unit and how it develops as well as the way the elements of the text interact, impact, and shape one another.

In the first paragraph, name a theme of Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "Sympathy," and explain how it develops, citing specific examples from the text to support your answer.

In the second paragraph, describe the ways in which various elements—such as the language, the setting, the speaker, and the events described—interact and affect one another.

literary element refers to components of a literary work (character, setting, plot, theme, frame, exposition, ending/denouement, motif, titling, narrative point-‐of-‐view). These are technical terms for the “what” of a work.

Explanation:

The themes of Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem “Sympathy” include freedom and sympathy. The speaker discusses the effects of unfreedom, implicitly commenting on American racial inequality while explicitly depicting the plight of a caged bird. In this depiction, the poem explores the dynamics of sympathy, a process by which two entities suffer together.