We find loads of nature imagery in "Sympathy"—it is about a bird, after all. The natural imagery in "Sympathy" works to give us a sense of all that the poor caged birdie is excluded from. The beautiful natural landscape contrasts with the bird's cramped cage, and this helps us understand just how much oppression the bird suffers from (hint: lots… and lots).
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- How does the natural landscape contrast with the bird's cage in this poem? What's the point of this contrast?
- What is the speaker's relationship to nature in this poem?
- What's the relationship between freedom and nature in this poem?
- In what ways does the poem suggest that nature is the bird's "true" home?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Untamed nature represents freedom in "Sympathy."
Nope—nature is a representation of home in "Sympathy."