Poetry Pairings - "Sympathy", "Caged Bird", & "'Hope' is the Thing With Feathers"

This resource allows contains three poems: “Sympathy” (Paul Laurence Dunbar); “‘Hope’ is a Thing with Feathers” (Emily Dickinson); and “Caged Bird” (Maya Angelou). Each of these poems, powerful in their own right, uses bird imagery to discuss hope amidst struggle. The pairing of these three poems allows students to examine how this topic is treated by authors of different backgrounds and time periods.

Included:
◈ Short poet bios on Dunbar, Dickinson, and Angelou
◈ Handout for each poem:
➫ Annotate: on the left side, students summarize each stanza. On the right side, students respond with examples of literary devices, such as figurative language and diction, as well as their own reactions and thoughts.
➫ Questions
◈ Poetry Comparison Brainstorming: Students can complete one or both of these handouts
➫ Triple Venn Diagram
➫ Comparison Chart, focusing on figurative language, symbolism, diction, imagery, and thematic statements
◈ Comparison Writing Prompt