Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow:

Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow

"Sympathy"

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;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opens,
And the faint perfume from its petals steals-
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;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he rather would be on the branch 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!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his blossom sore;
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a song 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 –
I know why the caged bird sings!
(Adapted from the poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar in America Negro Poetry, edited by Arna Bontemps. New York: Hill and Waug 1974.)

(a). Explain briefly what the poem is about (3 mks)

(b). What does the poet focus on in each of the three stanzas? Give your
answer in note form. (6 mks)

(c). How would you describe the persona's feelings towards the caged bird?
(4 mks)

(d). What can we infer about the persona's own experiences? (3 mks)

(e). Identify a simile in the first stanza and explain why it is used. (2 mks)

(f). Explain the meaning of the following lines

(i). And the faint perfume from its petals steals. (1 mark)

(ii). And they pulse again with a keener sting. (1 mark)

Answers

(a). The persona empathizes with the tribulations of a caged bird. He uses the refrain "I know what the caged bird feels" It is evident he (persona) has suffered similar tribulations. This is evident in his emphatic use of the words. "I know why the bird has no freedom. .It is caged. It cannot enjoy or experience the beautiful things of life because he is enslaved inside the cage the bird sends an earnest prayer for someone outside or heavens to hear his cry for freedom. (3 mks)

(b). Stanza 1 - the focus is on the physical beauty of nature which the caged bird is deprived. Stanza 2 - focus is on the curtailed freedom of movement the caged bird is subjected to. Stanza 3 - Focus is on the desperation of the caged bird which makes it beat its bars, get bruised yet it still continues to sing. (6 mks)

(c). He is sympathetic
He says - "I know what the caged bird feels I know why the caged bird beats his wing. When his wing is bruised and his blossom sore. (4 mks)

(d). He seems to have had similar experiences as the caged bird.
This evident when he says, "I know what the caged bird feels".
He also repeats the phrase "I know why ................... (3 mks)

(e). Simile - And the river flows like a stream of glass.
Effect - To show that the caged bird is not able to enjoy the beauty of nature owing to its state of captivity. (2 mks)

(f). (i) The Line refers to the sweet fragrance of nature's flowers (1 mk)

(ii) The experiences of the caged bird evoke similar painful experiences of the persona.

marto answered the question on April 2, 2019 at 08:26

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Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
The Brewing Night
It was that memorable night when I heard it.
Yes, I heard it all.
That night sleep deserted me,
Mocked at me and tantalized me;
So I lay awake, sharp in all my senses.
It was long past midnight:
Time dragged on, the clock wouldn't chime;
The dog wouldn't bark, nor the babies cry;
It was a moonless and windless night;
The whole universe seemed to stagnate
In dark, dreary, dead slumber
What was amiss? I knew not.
The dead quietness and solitude
Seemed to be eternal, - but
Waves of babbling and muttering
Began to trickle through the streets;
A distant roaring if heavy trucks filled the air,
Hurried footsteps echoed through the street.
What was a miss? I knew not.
I pulled my curtain
And there I saw it all
Heavy boots thick uniforms and solid helmets
Dimly discernible under the pale street lamp
The atmosphere stood stiff and solid with
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The night had pused with passions high and wild;
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(b) ln what way was the night described in the poem peculiar?

(c) What was amiss? I knew not. (Rewrite as one sentence beginning: I did)

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Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
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4. Identify the metaphor in the fifth stanza and explain it’s meaning
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5. Why do you think the line "Three thousand shillings is not enough" is repeated several times? (2 mks)

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Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)
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Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)

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