The attitude the author or narrator has toward the subject matter is known as the tone. Tone can also refer to the attitude towards the audience. A motif is a distinctive feature in a work. Language, in terms of literature, is a register or dialect of language used in the work. Theme is the central topic of the work.
The theme of the poem "Sympathy" is racism, and the imprisoning effect it has on the soul. In the poem, the poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar compares himself to a caged bird.