Question

In Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "Sympathy," what is the metaphorical significance of the pain that "still throbs in the old, old scars"? A. It refers to the wounds that are especially painful after frustrating attempts to break free. B. It stands for the pain of slavery that nearly a century of struggle for civil rights has not erased. C. It's an allusion to the branding of slaves and the scars that it left on former slaves.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. It stands for the pain of slavery that nearly a century of struggle for civil rights has not erased.

Explanation:

Hello! The poem is about racism, referring to the slavery that African Americans suffered throughout history. The author describes himself as locked in a cage that oppresses him. The quoted extract alludes to the scars left by those dark times of violence against people, which still persist in other ways, for example, racial hatred.