Maya Angelou Inequality

Maya Angelou Inequality
The inequality of women is also vital in the novel written by Maya Angelou, "I know why the caged
bird sings" a powerful and truly moving autobiography "written at the end of the civil right struggles
in the 1960's" (8). The reception of the novel was incredible, it is the most highly acclaimed of her
autobiographies, making Angelou "one of the most renowned black women in America" (9). Maya
Angelou describes her "caged life as a black girl growing up in the south" (10), her lost youth, the
dangers of innocence and need for emotional and physical affection, "I had given up some youth for
knowledge, but my gain was more valuable than the loss" (5). In the 1920's and 1940's, America was
separated by discrimination and prejudice not only between ... Show more content on
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Antoinette childhood involved traumatising events of social discrimination, and terrorising racism,
"I never looked at any strange negro. They hated us. They called us white cockroaches...One day a
little girl followed me singing, "Go away white cockroach, go away, go away." (4) This describes
the enmity of the native villagers, using the word "cockroach" shapes the symbolism of Antoinette
family's social status and position in the community, they are seen as inferior creatures and the
lowest class in society. Furthermore, to the Black race they're sickening leading to their isolation
caused by cultural and racial rejection. In "I know why the caged bird sings", Angelou confronts the
challenges of segregation and isolation from a very young age, "His victory means everything to
them; they pin their hopes for dignity and equality on it... If Joe lost we were back in slavery and
beyond help. It would all be true, the accusations that we were lower types of human beings." (5)
Maya's perception of her race and even herself is dangerously influenced by the attitudes around her
and especially the views of men in her life. This is evident in her behaviour towards Tommy Valdon,
"Why me? Was this a joke?...Alright then, what evil dirty things did he have in mind?
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Maya Angelou Biography
In addition, My black history report is on my person name Maya Angelou and she was known for an
american poet ,memoirist,and civil rights activist. She also published seven autobiographies, three
books of essays, several books of poetry, and was credited.Also she wrote plays,movies,and
television shows spanning over when she was 50 years old. Angelou died on May 28, 2014, in
Winston–salem, North Carolina, where she had served as Reynolds professor of American studies.
Angelou joined the Harlem Writers Guild in the late 1950s and met James Baldwin and other
important writers. It was during this time Angelou had the opportunity to hear Dr. Luther king
speak. First,Maya was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri,writer and civil rights activist
during war world 2.Maya was three years old when she moved with her grandmother in Stamp's
Arkansas with her little brother Bailey.Angelou was an actress, author, dancer poet, and a
screenwriter and her parents split up when she was little.They moved to west from St. Louis
Missouri, where Maya was born and she died in May 28,2014. She was offered in position as the
northern coordinator for Dr. King's SCLC. Maya won three Grammys awards for spoken–words
recordings for her poetry.Angelou moved to San Francisco California during war 2 , in California
Maya won a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Angelou had hearts ailments and had been declining health for years. From her desperate years she
gradually moved into nightclub dancing. was an instrumental figure in the civil rights movement
through her organizational skills and writing

Maya Angelou Equality
Good Morning/Afternoon Mrs. Yates and Class,
A powerful woman once said, " I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" This powerful woman was the
civil rights activist, writer and poet, Maya Angelou. Angelou grew up in 1928, in the midst of the
Harlem Renaissance, a period of time where African American culture blossomed and the punished
souls of the African Americans were expressed through literature and song. Maya Angelou's poem
"Equality" strongly reflects her attitudes, values and perspectives towards the discrimination of the
African American race. She engages and conveys her perspective to the reader through the use of
aesthetic features and figurative language. Even though this poem was written over 30 years ago, it
still resonates with today's society.
As an African American ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It uses nature to describe beautiful things and emotion to show how we respond to the events we see
and feel. There is mystery in poetry so it inspires the reader to dig deeper and use their imagination
and to feel and see from the heart.. We can reap by seeing the beauty in poetry. In this poem, the
reader felt the anguish that Maya felt, her frustration, and her despair. The reader had an overlook
into the emotions that the African Americans felt during their painful history. After all, a history
book can tell you the information, but poetry tells you the emotions, of these real people not just a
broadened group, Even though the scales of equality are slightly equal, the prejudice some hold
against other races, women and minorities still exist in today's biased society. The themes and
perspectives in Maya Angelou's poem equality remain timeless throughout generations, and still
resonate with today's cohort, because Racial discrimination is not a ongoing problem and still has
not been

Maya Angelou Motherhood
Maya Angelou
By consistently weaving the theme of motherhood into her literature,
Maya Angelou creates both personal narratives and poems that the reader
can relate to. Her exploration of this universal theme lends itself to a
very large and diverse audience. Throughout Angelou's works, she allows
her followers to witness her metamorphosis through different aspects of
motherhood.
Well–worked themes are always present in Angelou's works– self–
acceptance, race, men, work, separation, sexuality, and motherhood.
However, Angelou uses the latter to provide "literary unity" (Lupton 7–8).
Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, to ... Show more content on
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She sees only
a woman that many people, both white and black, respect. The general
store that Annie owns is the center of activity in Stamps. This
centralization of the store has a direct correlation to the way Annie is
the moral center of Maya's childhood family (Lupton 8–9).
After ten years of living with Momma Henderson, Maya and Bailey are
sent to join their mother in St. Louis. By the time the children are in

their teens, they have covered the western portion of the United States,
traveling between their parents' separate homes and Momma Henderson's in
Arkansas. Each move greets them with a different set of relatives or
another of their parents' lovers.
The turmoil that Maya undergoes causes her to question many aspects
of herself. As a young woman she begins to doubt her sexual preference
and engages in a onetime sexual encounter to prove her sexuality. After
this experience, Maya finds herself pregnant. Angelou ends her first book
with the birth of her son, Guy. This occurrence lends itself to a note of
awakening that carries through Maya's next book, Gather Together In My
Name.
Between the conclusion of Caged Bird and the beginning of Gather
Together, there is practically no break in the narrative. The former ends
with Guy's birth and the latter when he is just a few months old. In its
totality,

Speech On Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou Imagine this: it's the early 1990's, the day of Bill Clinton's inauguration speech. A
poet was invited to write and read the first inaugural poem. It went like this: "Here, on the pulse of
this new day, / You may have the grace to look up and out / And into your sister's eyes, and into /
Your brother's face, your country /And say simply / Very simply / With hope–Good morning." This
is Maya Angelou's poem titled "On the Pulse of Morning", just one of many of her works that were
influenced by her life. At this moment it was influenced by the loss of one of her greatest friends,
Martin Luther King Jr. Throughout her life, she faced many things, ranging from her early life to her
adult years with her travels and friendships. Maya ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 1964 she returned to America to help Malcolm X establish an organization, but a year later
Malcolm X was assassinated so the group disbanded (Maya Angelou Biography). After this, Maya
Angelou started to work with yet another good friend, Martin Luther King Jr. until he was
assassinated as well. These four years, up until she started to write her very first autobiography, was
covered in A Song Flung up to Heaven in 2002. In an interview about this story, she said, "I didn't
know how to write it," she said. "I didn't see how the assassination of Malcolm [X], the Watts riot,
the breakup of a love affair, then [the assassination of Dr.] Martin [Luther] King [Jr.], how I could
get all that loose with something uplifting in it" (Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation). The civil
rights movement and the friends she lost was one of her last large influences on her

Paper On Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was born on April 28, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri to Bailey and Vivian Johnson. Her
given name was Marguerite Ann Johnson, but she was nicknamed "Maya" by her older brother.
Over the course of her life, Angelou had many jobs ranging from a fry cook to a sex worker. She
broke through as both an author and poet with her publication of her autobiography, I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings in 1969. (Wikipedia.com) From that point on, Maya Angelou would become a
very prominent figure in American literature.
Maya's younger years were filled with pain and tragedy. When she was only three years old, her
parents separated, moving Maya and her brother into the home of their grandmother in Stamps,
Arkansas. While growing up in this area, Angelou became aware of the discrimination and racism
that was prevalent during this time in America. (Hyperlink.com) At the age of eight, Angelou was
reinstated into the care of her mother. It was during this time period that Maya was sexually abused
by her mother's boyfriend. Shortly after this incident occurred, Angelou became mute and would not
speak again for five years. This time period in Maya Angelou's life would ... Show more content on
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She also remained politically active throughout her life, continuing to show her support for the Civil
Rights Movement, reciting her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning" at Bill Clinton's inauguration, and
publically endorsing both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Angelou finally passed away on May
28, 2014 at the age of 86. Even in her later years, Angelou never stopped writing. In the last 10 years
of her life, she penned over four books and several poems. (Wikipedia.com) Angelou is remembered
not only as an awe–inspiring poet and author, but also as a talented musician, playwright, and
outspoken activist. She truly left her mark in every aspect of her

Maya Angelou
Through an examination of the female experience, Maya Angelou's Still I Rise (1978) and Anne
Sexton's Her Kind (1960) utilise the authors' individual styles to inspire and shape our
understanding of oppression and empowerment. In the difference in presentation of their common
themes, the implications of different styles are shaped. Though there are similarities between the
poets, it is the way they choose to utilise literary devices that creates a text that resonates with the
audience in different ways.
Maya Angelou utilises her passionate style to send a clear message and to create an empowering
response within her audience. Through her use of imagery, figurative language, diction and
repetition, she creates an uplifting tone of proud defiance ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Angelou's style is vivid and passionate, turning her poem into a personal battle– a confrontation
with her oppressors. As opposed to this, Sexton's style is confessional and speculative, examining
the events of her life and her experiences. Both poems are written in the first person which creates a
strong connection between the shunned personas and the poet. However, Angelou choses to directly
address her oppressors with the word "you", marking her poem as a confrontation. Sexton instead
presents her oppressors using symbolism and connotation, shown by the "driver" and the persona of
the witch (the image of her fabricated by society). In this way, Sexton places the focus onto her
personal story, creating more empathy with the audience. In combination with this, the difference in
the use of imagery encapsulates the tone of each poem. Still I rise is filled with imagery of wealth
(diamonds and oil) and celestial power (the sun, stars and ocean). Angelou uses imagery to
metaphorically provide herself with the resources that her oppressors own, and even more,
showcasing the power of her resolve. By contrast Sexton uses imagery to create each "snapshot" of
her life, her use of imagery provides the audience with context and tone. For example, when she
evokes the image of flames and cracked ribs, coupled with the symbol of the witch, she creates a
horrifying image of historical witch

Maya Angelou Legacy
Maya Angelou, An African American poet, who has many legacy and dedication through her career
as a writer, poet, songwriter, dancer and other. Maya angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson on
April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. But raised in Stamps, Arkansas, by her paternal
Grandmother "Annie Henderson" Ms. Angelou early childhood experiences has been going through
a lot of trauma which she the only option were find out motivation to express herself in writing. She
died on May 28, 2014 at age of 86 in North Carolina. Thus, Maya Angelou parents, "Bailey Johnson
and Vivian Baxter" were divorced when she was very young, while she attends to grow up in
Arkansas with her paternal grandmother. Ms. Angelou father was a Bailey Johnson, was a "brash,

Maya Angelou Metaphors
Maya Angelou starts off the poem with "one foot down, then hop! It's hot/ Good things for the ones
that's got," (1–2) in an urgent tone to emphasize the pressure and stress they face when things don't
go as planned. African Americans are constantly put in stressful situations when it comes to finances
and providing for their family. Since they are always on the move or jumping from place to place
("another jump, now to the left" (3)), they continuously feel as though they need to be cautious
towards their next steps and be prepared for any changes such as getting laid off from their job;
"Cross the line, they count you out/ That's what hopping is all about" (11–12). In the second line,
Angelou intentionally uses incorrect grammar to suggest ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Although they may be hopping to different places, they keep persevering and moving forward which
ultimately provides them the confidence that one day they will live in a home where their family
feels comfortable in their own home and feels safe both physically and financially. Angelou
concludes with "Both feet flat, the game is done/ they think I lost. I think I won," (13–14) shows that
even though the game may be over, there are more for the African Americans to move forward from
and conquer. With a positive attitude and confidence, African Americans will overcome poverty,
wealth, and

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou, creator of such poems as Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman, stated that the Martin
Luther King Jr's works gave her the inspiration and instruction she needed to become the writer that
she is, her work is filled with real life stories that influence the reader. Shane Koyczan's
work,similar to what has been said about Maya Angelou's work, fills the reader's mind with real life
stories of those who have fell into the hands of bullying. His use of vivid, real life examples of
people, who he has personally known, gives his audience, those who have personally dealt with
bullying and feel as if they are alone, a sense of reassurance. Koyczan's poem "To This Day" is a
story about three people, one being the author himself, another being ... Show more content on
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In his own personal connection, he symbolizes pork chops. To most people, this item would just be a
savory meal, but to Koyczan the item was the start to years of bullying and name calling that lead to
years of sadness and depression. He mostly uses the symbolism to show the audience how a normal,
everyday object can ruin a person's self image and self thoughts. The same follows for when he uses
a beauty mark, for many a word that follows a simple dot on a person's face, but for the girl
mentioned in the poem, it means a life of ridicule for a mark that covers up a little less than half her
face. The use of showing a simple object or word as a start of years of sadness express the purpose
of his poem. It shows that everybody goes through something, and as hard as it is, you can build a
bridge over your problem. The same is shown for the last example, of a guy who was born into a life
of pain, adopted and bullied. The word pills is used, an item used often to take away the pain, in this
case is the cause of his pain. The pills lead to bullying, the name calling by his peers, and was the
start to a life of name

A strong and influential memoirist is able to to grasp the reader's attention and dive into topics
bigger than themselves. Maya Angelou, the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, embodies
what it takes to neither be a hero nor a victim as she recollects her past. Growing up, Maya Angelou
not only suffered from white prejudice and female gender inequality, she was presented with a
feeling of powerlessness.
"The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature ate the
same time that she is cause in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, whites illogical hate and
Black lack of power" (Angelou, ###). However, she found herself persevering through it all and
accepted her reality and embodied "the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Both felt displaced among their community; Maya Angelou feeling like she needs to wake up from
her, "black ugly dream" (Angelou, 2), and Frank McCourt being denied opportunity as a result of
being poor in Limerik, Ireland. Although they both felt displaced, they also felt motivated to achieve
a better life for themselves. Though they were young, they both found that motivation through
education. Frank McCourt dreamed of starting a new life in America and the only way out was to
escape the grasps of Limerick. He was able find his way out after Mr. O'Halloran told him that
knowledge is power, "You have to study and learn so you can make up your own mind about history
and everything else but you can't make up an empty mind. Stock your mind, stock your mind. It is
your house of treasure and no one in the world can interfere with that" (McCourt, 208). McCourt
took his message to heart and was able start a new life in the United States of America. Maya
Angelou also found education to her way to a better life. She burrowed herself, "into caves of fact,
and found delight in the logical resolutions of mathematics" (Angelou, 286). Now, there was not
much Maya Angelou could escape from living as a young black girl in the racist South. However,
through education she was able to escape reality for a bit by emerging herself in

Maya Angelou
In Maya Angelou's poem "Human Family," she focused on how everyone perceived families. Many
people think that all families are different, but Maya Angelou thought different. She wanted her
reader to know that yes everyone is different, but we are all the same in many ways. Maya Angelou
mentioned that as humans we all are different, whether it is our skin tone, where we live, and even
our social class. She wanted her reader to understand that although we do not look the same or have
the same things we still have things in commons as humans. Maya Angelou started to inform her
readers of the similarities that we all have as human. She reveal to her readers that although we all
are different on the outside, we still have the same ambition and

Maya Angelou Reunion
Often in works of literature many authors have written about discrimination's towards African–
Americans. One author that who is famous for this was talks mostly about this was Maya Angelou.
One short story that she had written that shows this is "The Reunion". This work of literature is
important for the readers to read because the people need to know in life that there are many
obstacles to achieve in order to be successful. In the short story, "The Reunion" by Maya Angelou,
Philomena struggles in life have made her achieved obstacles.
To begin with, Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, MO. She was an author, actress,
screenwriter, dancer, and poet. Maya Angelou experienced discrimination and racial prejudices for
being an African American in Arkansas. She was raped by her mother's boyfriend and as a revenge
her uncles killed her mother's boyfriend. In 1944, Maya was 16 years old when she gave birth to her
son after a short –lived high school relationship. Adding to this, Maya Angelou lived during the time
when the Civil Rights Movement and World War II were happening. These experiences are
important because To sum up, Maya Angelou experienced many ... Show more content on
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This story is about two women who "grew up together". One is white who is called Miss Beth Ann
Baker and the other is black who is called Philomena Jenkins. As a child, Philomena and her family
worked for Beth's family, and Beth would always treat her badly. One day at a jazz band, Philomena
saw Beth with a black man; Philomena had remembered her childhood when she saw Beth. Beth
went up to Philomena and told her that she understand what blacks have been through because of
her fiance. Beth didn't even apologize to philomena for the past and Philomena just stayed silent and
realizing that Beth do not get it. Beth invited Philomena to her wedding, but Philomena told her to
go to hell and take her family with her for

Maya Angelou Women
Maya Angelou's poetry challenges how media influences the perception of black women. She
debunks the assumption that black women should behave and look a certain way in order to be
treated with humanity. The issues of the expectations of black women in society, Maya Angelou's,
Poems, channels the expression of the free spirit of African–American women within societal
influences, conveyed through metaphor, repetition, and imagery, revealing black empowerment.
Angelou uses metaphor to describe her inner–strength to survive the battles against criticism.
Angelou compares men to "a hive of honey bees [that] swarm around [her]" (Angelou 122).
Although Angelou defies society's beauty standards, the bees have an uncontrollable desire to be
near ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She emphasizes her divergence from societal standards of beauty. While, society emphasizes an
ideal white, thin, and model–like woman figure, she claims her "secret" lies within everything that
contradicts the societal standards of beauty (Krisna 1). Angelou admits to not being "cute or built to
suit a fashion model's size" (Angelou 121) to portray the image of a person who accepts herself
regardless of society's "psychological neediness for power over someone else" (Foster 147).
Although, Angelou's figure does not conform to the clichéd ideas of beauty, she describes her figure
as an expression of womanliness. Angelou asks, "Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a
surprise that I dance like I've got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs?" (Angelou 156) to gives the
ultimate defiance of a woman by viewing her confidence as sexy. Angelou encourages women to
have the ability to feel beautiful without needing confirmation from society.The images of diamonds
imply that Angelou feels wealthy but her wealth does not necessarily come from money. From the
"span of [her] hips, the stride of [her] step, and the curl of [her] lips" (Krisna 1), Angelou uses the
movement of her body as a source of pride. Her body depicts a glorious and fearless black woman,
revealing her incredible self–confidence despite society's

Maya Angelou Accomplishments
The Life and Accomplishments of Maya Angelou
"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud" (brainyquote). This quote by Angelou basically
summarizes a good majority of the themes of Angelou's poems. Angelou was, in fact, an inspiration
or "a rainbow" (brainyquote) to many. Angelou wrote to express herself; she believed if she was
going to write about something, it was important (Noah Charney The Daily Beast). Angelou's
childhood experiences played an important role in her poems and books. She inspired many with her
words of wisdom and encouraged many to keep going even when life gets tough. Maya Angelou's
story begins on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri (bio.com). At the age of 7, she was raped by her
mother's boyfriend and , because of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Angelou is stating that no one can take on all of the world's weight without the help of others.
Shmoop.com says: "When we get right down to it, this poem centers itself on an emotional
landscape: the homelessness of the human soul. The roving, searching heart has no home– which is
perhaps why we move from setting to setting in this poem as well (Shmoop Editorial Team)." There
are a few possible themes to this poem, shmoop.com has four: isolation, suffering, spirituality, and
society/class. The main theme of the poem, however, is needing someone to rely on when you can't
handle things on your own, as in lines twelve and thirteen, "Nobody, but nobody Can make it out
here alone." These lines are also repeated in a couple of other stanzas. The tone at the beginning of
this poem is searching as said in line three, "How to find my soul a home", while the tone at the end
of the poem is realization. The overall tone of this poem is "epiphanic, as if the narrator had just
figured something out revolutionary (to her this was)" (pt10thpoetry.weebly.com). This poem
describes Angelou's life because of how much she had put up with on her own and coming to the
realization that she needed someone to lean on when the weight of the world became too much to

Maya Angelou Wisdom
Rainbow in the Cloud the Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou African Americans in my generation
should be ashamed. What did our ancestors fight for? In this generation we use the word nigger as if
it is slang and not a word that our ancestors looked down upon. What did Martin Luther King Jr. and
other civil rights leaders fight for? In Maya Angelou's book Rainbow in the Clouds she discussed
that we as African Americans should respect our descendants and behave in a way that they would
be proud of. Maya Angelou also expressed how she is proud to be an American and how she is
thankful to our troops. I believe that Martin Luther king's dream has not been fulfilled. Yes, people
of other races are more welcoming to one another and African Americans ... Show more content on
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"How can you truly respect yourself if you do not know or understand the struggles and trials your
people surmounted for you to be here "(Angelou 18)? In high school I learned more about
Caucasian people in history than I learned about African Americans. I would only hear about black
people of importance during black history month. In my opinion blacks were pushed aside until
February rolled around again. When I enrolled into a Historical black University I was given the
chance to learn about black culture and how we have made an impact on the world. If I had attended
a white institution I would have not gotten the chance to learn about my people. Several people in
America are living in low–income housing. Many people are facing unemployment every day. There
are people that cannot afford health care or do not have a roof over their heads at night. Many issues
in the world are overlooked in the world, if we cared more about our environment then about racism
the world would be a better place. "We are not our brother's keeper; we are our brother and our
sister" (Angelou 20). Maya Angelou was expressing if we focus less on how we are different and
more on helping our community the world would be a better place. There is violence going on
everyday in the United States, but we do not understand how grateful we should be to live in a
country where we are considered free. "These heroes and sheroes deserve our heartfelt gratitude for
holding the flag of freedom high in the foreign air" (Angelou 26). The armed forces are not giving
enough praise for risking their lives for us every day. Many people have lost loved ones due to war
but, they know without their family putting their life on the line they would not be safe. The armed
forces try to make a difference in the world and to impact others to do the same. Maya Angelou's
book Rainbow in the cloud and the Wisdom and spirit

Maya Angelou Biography
Maya Angelou's childhood was a little hectic, but with time she put her best foot forward in spite of
struggles. Angelou had a beautiful voice that wasn't heard until she started writing poems. Angelou
was also awarded multiple awards, because of her excellent poetry. Maya Angelou worked hard to
present us with her extravagant, most vibrant poems that has impacted a lot of lives. Maya Angelou
is an awe–inspiring figure in American Literature who is determined to spread equality to all. Maya
Angelou was originally born Marguerite Anne Johnson, but she was known as Maya Angelou..
Maya Angelou, born on April 4, 1928, is the youngest daughter of Vivian Baxter Johnson and Bailey
Johnson. Maya Angelou's parents split while she was young; therefore, she and her older brother,
Bailey , had to go live with their father's mother, Anne Henderson , in Stamps , Arkansas. Maya
Angelou's older brother, Bailey Jr., nicknamed Marguerite "Maya", derived from "My" or "Mya
Sister". At the age of eight, Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend, while visiting her mother.
As a result to Angelou's rape, her uncle killed her mother's boyfriend. Maya Angelou was so shaken
up about the incident that she stopped talking for five years. When she returned to the state of
Arkansas, she was a virtual

Maya Angelou Obstacles
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist and a writer. She was born on April 4, 1928
(biography.com). I chose to write about her because I wanted to know more about the hardships she
suffered as she went through life and how she became who she was. Some interesting things I found
about Maya Angelou was that besides being a writer she was also an actress, screenwriter, dancer
and poet. She was also good friends with both Martin Luther King Jr. and Oprah Winfrey
(biography.com). This essay will explain the things Maya Angelou did and accomplished that have
changed the world today. Maya Angelou wrote poems and books that gave literary, political voice to
African American women(biography.com). Maya Angelou overcame many obstacles

Maya Angelou
'Still I Rise' is a poem written by Maya Angelou, an African–American poet, and civil rights activist
in the 1960s. She has struggled at many times in her life; when her parents divorced at the age of
three, being raped by her mother's boyfriend just after moving back to live with them, and refusing
to speak for five years because she felt guilty for reporting the crime. The poem portrays an ironic
response towards people who have persistently put her down, due to the fact that she is now
overcoming this, and is most likely having a better current life than her last oppressors. The reader
can comprehend Angelou's strength to continuously fight her battles against subjugation towards her
and others of the same race and gender. The basis of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"You may write me down in history....You may trod me in the very dirt. But still, like dust, I'll rise."
This quote indicates Angelou's thoughts and emotions of what she and other victims of oppression
faced, and how she overcame this. This personal pronoun helps the listener recognise that this issue
has affected Angelou and that it is personal to her, but she will continue to persevere. In contrast to
this, in 'Disabled', Owen describes how he was trapped in a dark world after his injury, and couldn't
rise above the suffering that he faced. "Waiting for dark" portrays how physically unable Owen was.
After losing his leg, it seemed as if all he did was wait for the dark to come so he could sleep. He
had lost all happiness in his life, and was left in utter despair, just waiting for his life to finally
relinquish. Owen shows the reader how he allowed society to depress and overthrow him, which
contradicts Angelou's view on facing hardship. Using omniscient narration in this poem enables the
reader to know how Owen felt when he was struggling, and gives a deep insight into the hardships
that he faced, that would be hard to discern if the poem was told in first or second perspective.
Strong imagery is used in 'Still I Rise', which creates a contrast between Angelou's past struggles,
and her present life. Many imagery

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri from Bailey Johnson and Vivian
Johnson. Which later in her life she grew up to become an author, dancer, actress, screenwriter, and
a poet. As life went on for her, she slowly became an amazing person that so many began to admire.
Angelou has written many poems and has received numerous awards, but the one that has stood out
the most to me is, "Alone". Angelou shows you that in the world we live in, in order to be successful
you must be accompanied by friends. Just like she said, "That nobody, but nobody can make it out
here alone." In this poem Angelou uses many literary devices such as, repetition, alliteration,
similes, and imagery, in these devices Maya expresses her strongest ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Another device that is used inside the poem is a simile. A simile is a figure of speech involving the
comparison of one thing with another of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic
or vivid. Authors and poets use similes in their writings because it makes the reading more
interesting and lyrical. Another reason why this is used in writings is because similes help the reader
to see the scene in his/her mind. All these reasons help the reader comprehend what's going on
throughout the story or poem. An example of a simile used in the poem is when Angelou says,
"Their wives run around like banshees" which she means that she is comparing the wives with the
banshees. Comparing these to objects using like or as gives the reader an extra help into
understanding the stanza. This helps the reader by giving a little imagery to the brain. It helps by
making the person who is reading visualize the line in their

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was an African American that grew up to be a well known poet. I chose to write an
analysis on her because she was the main character in the book I know why a caged bird sings, and
interested me the most. She grew up in the 1990s, when discrimination was still a problem. She has
endured so much in her lifetime. She describes herself as big, elbowy and grating on page 22. She is
very insecure because number one, people made fun of her, and number two, she was black. In
chapter 24, she had serious tooth aches. She and her mama went to a white dentist that didnt treat
black people after 4 days. The dentist discarded the idea of treating Margurite, and said some awful
things. While her mama broke into his office to talk to him, Maya

Maya Angelou
Ma 2(1565443)
Maya Angelou is known as the "most visible black female autobiographer/poet." She was born,
Marguerite Ann Johnson, on April fourth, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents divorced when
she was three, and she and her brother were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas.
Seeing all the racial discrimination in the American south strengthened her passion for poetry,
music, dance and performance. Maya writes about the struggles people face, racism and freedom. At
age eight, Angelou went mute for five years when she believed that her words killed a man. These
years of silence helped develop her extraordinary memory, love for books and literature, and her
ability to listen and observe the world around her. At ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Lyric is poetry that gives emotion. An example of lyric in the poem is "But a bird that stalks down
his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so
he opens his throat to sing."(Angelou 8–14). Lyric makes the poem more serious and helps express
the poet's feelings about racism better. It adds emphasis by showing how one bird is free and the
other is trapped and restricted. The speaker of the poem is the poet. The speaker of the poem is
Maya Angelou because she is telling what it is like to be free or trapped. An example would be "The
free bird leaps on the back of the win" (Angelou1–2).the theme of the poem is that being able to do
your own things and make your own decisions, is better than being trapped and struggling. An
example of this would be "But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams" (Angelou 26) and "The
free bird thinks of another breeze" (Angelou 22), because the free bird represents the white race and
the caged bird represents the black race. In Maya Angelou's poem, "I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings", she uses symbolism and lyric as poetic devices to bring meaning to the poem.
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Racism and Struggles
An Analysis of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou.
Poet Essay
March 19, 2012
Word count: 575
1565443
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Work cited
A&E Television Networks."Maya Angelou Biography." www.biography.com. 2012
American

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's 1969 novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is an autobiography that revolves
entirely around Maya Angelou, a black African American girl in the 1930's–50's, and her difficult
journey through life. The novel circles the themes of racism, sexism, and the outcome of being
raped. Angelou explains to the reader the different remonstrance's she goes through every day and
how she struggles to grow up without a mother or a father. The book begins with her explaining how
her mother sent her and her brother Bailey off to live with their grandmother and uncle in Stamps
and how her parents are divorced. Angelou questions to herself many times throughout the book
how a mother could send off her children and never watch them grow and teach ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The theme of racism is mentioned many times throughout this reading because of the time period
this book was written. "I wanted to throw a handful of black pepper in their faces ...to scream that
they were dirty ...but I knew I was as clearly imprisoned behind the scene as actors outside were
confined to their roles." (Angelou 31) Angelou watches furiously as 3 girls mock her grandmother
and comment mean things to her. Unable to speak her mind Angelou questions why blacks are
treated differently than whites and why blacks couldn't speak their minds about the topic of it. In the
poem Racism (Fatema) it is mentioned that racism is an inhumane action that we take upon our
nation. "You give people sorrow and hate...look what you've done and look at their state...why judge
by color... You are horrendously disgraceful but hate to admit you've got the power..." Fatema
explains her hate towards racism and the negative affects it has on a society and nation. Racism was
a very powerful thing back when it was used in the 1900's and is still used to this day. It is a very
bitter and biased way to express the feelings of one's self to another through unfair treatment. Both
Angelou and Fatema feel hate towards racism and feel that there is no need to discriminate someone
based on their skin color. They are all people no matter what the condition is. Both Angelou and
Fatema believe that everyone should be treated fair and

Maya Angelou
All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes is Maya Angelou's, who happens to be the author,
personal account of her experience as she travels back to Africa in an attempt at fulfilling the feeling
of 'home' she is looking for. In the autobiography Angelou speaks on the issues of racism and
cultural differences between both the Ghanaians and the Americans within the country. The book
gives an eye opening view of the times during the Civil Rights Movement and the key people during
that time, while looking into the ancestry of the people who were so wrongly taken from their own
place they call own. Another important issue that is presented to the reader is the exploration of
African, as well as, African– American identities throughout the book. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
To begin the story Angelou must deal with the problem of struggling to be a mother to her grown
son, Guy, who happened to get into an accident where he broke his neck. They both came to Ghana
after spending two years in Cairo, Egypt. The purpose of the trip was to enroll Guy into the
University of Ghana, with the accident happening just three days after their arrival. While describing
her son's accident, we are introduced to her friend Julian Mayfield, who introduces Angelou to Efua
Sutherland, a writer and actor; as Sutherland becomes a close friend of Angelou's who allows her to
let out all of her pain. After getting a job at the university, in which Guy attended, Angelou begins to
make friends and becomes roommates with two other Americans that happened to be lodgers at the
YMCA they would go on to live at, and Guy's quick recovery, she begins to feel comfortable with
her new life in Africa. Further along in the story, Angelou searches for various jobs that paid more
than the minimum in order to pay for her sons tuition and the car she recently bought. Her and her
roommates hire a village boy named Kojo who reminds her of her brother Bailey and ultimately
serves as a substitute for her son Guy. While traveling through eastern villages in Ghana, she
describes to us the romantic relationship she had with a man named Sheikhali, who proposes that
she be his second wife although she refuses. As the story progresses she participated in the
organizing of a march in Ghana the same day as Martin Luther King Jr's march on Washington.
Later she meets Malcolm X, as he was in Ghana to gain support from a variety of different
governments. Being the chosen one drive him around, Angelou has many talks with him including
those of personal matters and on the topic of civil rights. She then took part in a play that was being
performed in Germany. After Germany she took a quick visit to Cairo in order to visit

Biography Of Maya Angelou
"A Phenomenal Woman": Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was a woman of many names. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1928. Her
father, Bailey Johnson, was a doorman and a naval dietician. Her mother, Vivian Johnson, was a
professional gambler, registered nurse, and owned a rooming house and bar. As a young girl she
endured abuse and trauma that eventually led her to stop talking, for six years she believed that her
voice had killed the man who had attacked her but through writing and performing, she found her
voice. "I am Maya Angelou, whatever that means to whomever it means."
Angelou wrote in several categories of writing and performing as a poet, author, scriptwriter,
actress, and composer. Angelou had a voice that demanded to be heard. a voice to all that had been
quieted andor overlooked. Her work brought her acclaim and awards from all over the place. She
even read at Bill Clinton's very first inauguration and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom
by Barack Obama. Over the years ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
First she married Tosh Angelos in 1950 only to be divorced two years later, then married Paul Du
Feu in 1973 but soon divorced in 1981. She only had one child in 1945, writer, Guy Johnson.
Angelou died May 28, 2014 at eighty–six years old in her North Carolina home. The legacy of this
powerful woman is lived on by Her son, Guy, and many friends and admirers. In my opinion,
"Phenomenal Woman" is one of her greatest contributions to the literary world. It shows that you
don't have to be a certain 'type' of woman to be amazing. Angelou manages to convey this message
by pinpointing the things that she found made her unique and desirable. She found out just how
phenomenal she was years after she had thought of herself as ugly and incapable of being loved. Her
life was not aways glamorous and phenomenal, and seeing the way she was able to work through it
and realize how amazing she is an amazing thing we don't see very

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou describes her noteworthy life in her Memoir; I know why the Caged Bird Sings. In
her memoir, Maya uses several literary devices to capture the audience's attention and explain the
traumatic events in her life. Maya recollects the events in her life and allows her audience to
experience all of her hardships. In the 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya
Angelou uses metaphors and similes to explain the struggles of growing up as a black woman in a
sexist and racist society. Through the use of the literary devices, Angelou stimulates a feeling of
empathy in her audience and the reader is able to connect to Maya's suffering.
Maya Angelou describes her upbringing as painful and unpleasant ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Maya struggles to keep the freedom she feels as child and the responsibilities she has to obey as an
adult. Furthermore, Maya uses metaphors to fully explain the problems that arise when growing up
and the reader is able to relate to her conflicts. For example, Maya compares her youth as the
"beauty of full freedom" to the "murderous pressure of adult conformity" (267). Maya describes her
youth as beautiful because she is innocent and is free. In contrast, Maya describes her adulthood as a
"murderous pressure" to fully convey to the reader the misery she feels letting go of her freedom and
joining social conformity. Maya looses her innocence at a young age and she connects her innocence
to freedom so that the reader is able to realize just how much of her youth Maya has lost. The shift
in Maya's writing causes the reader to feel sadness for Maya because she has let go of her
adolescence. For instance, Maya compares herself to a "mote" that is "imprisoned" and is "pushed
and pulled" but can never fall "free into tempting darkness" (110). Maya uses the mote to describe
her imprisonment she feels in Stamps and her hunger for freedom. Additionally, Maya specifically
labels her freedom as "tempting darkness" so that the reader can understand that her freedom is
unattainable and unapproachable. Consequently, Maya's audience is able to feel sympathy and can
relate to Maya's premature

Maya Angelou Contributions
Names such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, E.B. DuBois, and Malcolm X are all brought to
mind when discussing the struggles that African Americans have been involved in since the 1800s.
All of these people were significant speakers who heavily influenced Americans of all skin colors.
Maya Angelou is similar to those great black leaders in the way she influences others. Angelou's
contributions to American literature is superlative. She fought racism, segregation, and sexism
without losing her optimism, thus, making her a true woman of inspiration.
Maya Angelou grew up in a small, segregated town in the deep South where she had to learn to deal
with racial hatred. Angelou was originally born as Marguerite Johnson in Saint Louis, Missouri, on
April 4, 1928. When Angelou was three and her older brother, Bailey, was four, her parents sent
them off to live with their father's mother in the rural town of Stamps, Arkansas. Angelou's parents
were never truly happy around one another. So, her father "decided to put an end to their calamitous
marriage, and [he]shipped Maya and Bailey home to his mother" (Angelou 6) Angelou does not
remember most of her trip, but once they reached the deep South, things started to look up. "Negro
passengers, who always traveled with loaded lunch boxes, felt sorry for 'the poor little motherless
darlings' and plied Maya and her brother with cold fried chicken and potato salad" (Angelou 6).
Throughout all of her work, Angelou

Maya Angelou
The book I read was, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. In the book I learned
that the love for an activity or hobby that one enjoys, can help them overcome obstacles in life. In
the story, Maya Angelou writes an autobiography about her coming of age, in which she explains
how the development of her love for poetry and other literary works, helps her overcome racism and
sorrow. By Angelou showing that putting the pain endured from others into something you love,
teaches me that when you put pain into something you love to do, can make coping with the
situation a lot easier. In the story, Maya Angelou explains her coming of age as being more mature
than most. Angelou starts by explaining how life was for her as a young insecure African American
female ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Momma, runs the only store in the black area of Stamps and, becomes the central role model for
Maya in her early childhood. Maya and her brother Bailey are traumatized by the fact that their
parents abandoned them at a young age and struggle with the pain of vacancy from their parents not
being there. At the age of eight Maya goes to live with her biological mother, Vivian, in St. Louis.
One day, when Vivian left for work, her live–in boyfriend, Mr.Freeman, sexually molests her, later
raping her. They go to court and Maya denies that Mr.Freeman raped her and he is later violently
murdered. Maya feels guilt, feeling as though she worked as "the devils mouthpiece," causing her to
not talk to anyone other than Bailey, her family portrays this behavior as disrespectful. Maya goes
back to Stamps with Momma and after multiple events, Momma fears for Maya's and Bailey's safety
saving money to send them to live with Vivian, their biological mother at the age of

Maya Angelou, who was the first African–American to work in the San Francisco streetcars,
accomplished many things in her life. This fact proves that Angelou was a woman who believed in
doing what needs to be done in order to accomplish her goals. Angelou made an influence on the
world with her books and poems that related to diverse people in different situations, but most
importantly, she fought for African–American right in the early and middle 1900s.
Maya Angelou's early life helped lead to her need to accomplish her goals. For example, Marguerite
Anne Johnson was born April 14, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents sent her and her brother
away to live with their grandma in Stamps, Arkansas after they got divorced (Kite 6–7). Secondly, ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Initially, Angelou was taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer in 1992. That same
year Angelou received the Horatio Alger Award (Kite 98). Furthermore, Angelou had received a call
from president–elect Bill Clinton, who asked to compose and read a poem for his Presidential
Inauguration in 1992 (Agins 105). On January 20, 1993, Angelou read her poem On the Pulse of
Morning in front of hundreds of people gathered for Clintons' Inauguration (Agins 107). Also,
Angelou celebrated her 65th birthday in 1993, which was hosted by Oprah Winfrey (Kite 98–99).
Angelou dedicated her book Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now to Oprah "with
immeasurable love" (Agins 108). Of equal importance, Angelou published wrote a cookbook after
her dear friend Oprah asked her. In 2004, Angelou published her first and only cookbook,
Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes (Agins 109). Lastly, Angelou
published her final Auto–biography, Mom & Me & Mom in 2013 (Ncpedia.org). May 28, 2014, at
the age of 86, Angelou died at her home in Winston–Salem, North Carolina (Ncpedia.org). Hence,
Maya Angelou's later life indicated how an African–American woman achieved greatness.
Maya Angelou's was significant because she believed in accomplishing her goals would get her a
better life. Angelou made an influence on the world with her books

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings depicts to her audience her life
growing up. The short stories told in the chapters of the book speaks about Maya, the main
character; her feelings on racism and finding her identity. This autobiography should be considered
an important read for English and History classes today because the book explains issues faced in
racism and the challenges to find one's self. Maya Angelou's message is that for a person to know
who he or she is, he or she must find his or her inner self. There are many critical pieces written
about Maya Angelou's autobiography, but most are about Maya experiencing racism throughout her
life. From a young age Maya Angelou experienced racism from children to adults. For most people,
dealing with racism it is hard to go through and confusing to find the reason why one person would
act this way to another. The author ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Since a young age Maya Angelou has experienced racism from the children around her. It is
strenuous for Maya growing up because she feels as if she does not belong. From a young age to
adulthood Maya had to go through racism and segregation due her skin color. There was a group of
young boys, around Maya's age, saying rude comments towards Maya because she was black:
"Boys? It seemed that youth had never happened to them. Boys? No rather men who were covered
with graves' dust and age without beauty or leaning. The ugliness and rottenness of old
abominations" (Angelou 18). May does not understand how boys at a young age could be
discourteous towards her. The boys are seen as Ku Klux Klan members because of their attitudes.
The boys are inadequate because of the inaccurate ways taught from their parents. Their young
beauty is not shown because of the dark racist shadow they expose to the light. Maya wishes the
boys could learn to be kind to each other because their actions hurt the people around

Maya Angelou Legacy
Leadership and Legacy
Maya Angelou
Tiavounta Hudson
Thesis
Even though Maya Angelou had several problems in her life she overcame them and became
successful, she became a civil rights activist and she also wrote poems and books that inspired
people to become writers and many more other things. Background
In the late 1950's the civil rights movement begins,The civil rights movement was about racial
discrimination and the segregation between African American people and white people. African
American people didn't have much to do or an opportunity to do many things,like there wasn't a lot
of African American women as writers. There really wasn't a lot of African Americans as a anything,
because they didn't have rights to do anything.
Build up–
As Maya Angelou grew up she had to deal with racial discrimination and she wanted to do
something about it so she wrote books,poems even tried to team up with Malcolm x and Martin
Luther King to do something about it but she didn't get a chance to actually work with Martin
Luther king and Malcolm x because soon after approaching a few years later they both had soon
passed away so Maya Angelou decided to figure out a plan for herself so ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
She showed leadership by standing up for what was right she wanted it to be equal between white
and black people she went for help but it seemed as if whoever she wanted to team up with or get
help from they ended up dying leaving her to find a plan for herself. She was also one of many
women to fight for the civil rights movement. In 1968 Dr. Martin Luther king was going to hold a
March called the "Poor People's Campaign," he met with Maya Angelou and asked her to tour the
country to help promote the campaign she agreed but before she began on the tour, she learned on
her 40th birthday that Dr. Martin Luther King had been

"I learned that people will forget what you said, and will forget what you did but people won't forget
how you made them feel" was said by Maya Angelou. Firstly, Maya Angelou background
information was mainly about a person that was going back and forth with family members and
having a hard time going through it. Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis,
Missouri. When she was still a child her parents, Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson marriage ended.
After there parents marriage ended they went to live with there grandmother but after a while sent
back to there mother. Soon after in 1937 Maya was raped by her mothers boyfriend Mr. Freemen
and hen soon sent back to there grandmother. She lived in lots of different places such as Missouri,
Arkansas, California, New York and Egypt. Maya Angelou went to George Washington High School
and California Labor School. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She had many accomplishments, and she was honored to receive them all. She wrote up to 51 books,
has won 57 awards and has written 53 poems. Maya has won 57 awards such as the Matrix award,
Coretta Scott King award, the Lincoln medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She also has
written many books her top two most famous enough books are I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,
And Still I Rise. Her poems are all in one book called The Complete Collected Poems of Maya
Angelou.
Lastly, Maya Angelou is full of interesting facts that people don't know about her most likely. Maya
Angelou was a 16 year old girl when she got pregnant with Guy Johnson, who has followed his
mothers footsteps and is now a writer. In 1954 she became a night club career after her divorce to
Tosh Angelou. When she was molested by her mothers boyfriend Mr. Freeman she wouldn't talk to
anyone for five and a half years. She only spoke to her brother but it was such little

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's tumultuous childhood in the South and the struggles that come with being black are
the basis for her autobiographies such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Through her rich,
insightful literature she is able to record the black experience and ultimately the black struggle. She
"[is] always talking about the human condition – about what we can endure, dream fail at and still
survive."(Matzu 23) Angelou's early life was full of hardships; making her strong and ready to fight
for her rights. As a young child she, along with her brother Bailey and their parents, moved from her
birth place St. Louis to Long Beach. After her parents struggles there, she and Bailey were shipped
off to Stamps, Arkansas; the starting point for ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She realizes that Stamps is merely in the shadows of white society and she feels trapped and
displaced (Angelou). When she moves to San Francisco she feels right at home in the chaos
(Angelou). Here she is able to find herself Smith 10). "The aura of personal displacement within the
larger black community is counterpointed by the ambiance of displacement within the larger black
community. The black community of Stamps is itself caged in the social reality of racial
subordination and impotence."– Maya Angelou Works Cited Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1970. "Biography Information." Maya Angelou.
2006. Lordly and Dame Inc. 21 March. 2008 http:// mayaangelou.com Bloom, Lynn Z. "Maya
Angelou." Dictionary of Literary Biography. 38. Ann Arbor: Edwards Brothers, 1985. 3–12. Kelly,
Ernice B. Harvard Educational Review. 1970: Excerpted and reprinted in Contemporary Matzu,
Roger, ed. "Maya Angelou." Contemporary Literary Criticism. 64. Detroit: Gale Research, 23–24.
"Maya Angelou."Poets.org. 2008. The Academy of American Poets. 21 March. 2008 http://poets.org
Neubauer, Carol E. "Maya Angelou and Carol E. Neubauer, in an interview." The Massachusetts Ed.
Roger Matzu. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. 38–40. Phelps, Shirelle, ed. "Maya Angelou."
Contemporary Literary Criticism. 15. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997. 4–8. Shuker, Nancy. Maya
Angelou. Englewood Cliffs: Silver

Maya Angelou
Society has majorly evolved since 1945; one of the biggest contributors in the amazing strides
forward has been Maya Angelou. She would receive the person of the century reward for her being
active in many different communities. In 1975 Carol E. Neubauer wrote, "Angelou had become
recognized not only as a spokesperson for blacks and women, but also for all people who are
committed to raising the moral standards of living in the United States."( Poetryfoundation.org 1)"
Maya Angelou was an activist in the Civil Rights movement as well as the Equal Rights Movement.
She was not only apart of those movement, but a driving force for those involved. In addition to
taking part in many events that changed society, Angelou also served on two presidential ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Angelou wrote many poems talking about the beauty of women one of her most famous poems is
"Phenomenal Woman." In Phenomenal Woman, published in 1979, Angelou talks about how
powerful she is as a woman,"I walk into a room/Just as cool as you please,/ And to a man,/ The
fellows stand or/ Fall down on their knees./Then they swarm around me,/ A hive of honey bees./I
say,/It's the fire in my eyes,/And the flash of my teeth,/ The swing in my waist,/ And the joy in my
feet./I'm a woman/ Phenomenally.(Angelou 2)" Just this poem sends a powerful message saying that
women have power. This is inspiration to the women fighting for equal rights and in everyday life.
Maya Angelou's fight for Women's Rights is strengthened by experiencing sexual assault. After
being raped she would not speak this meaningful because many who experience sexual assault as
silenced by their own fear, fear of nothing being done, and fear that it was their fault. Her
autobiographies inspire many because they talk about her rape and then later being a single mother
at just sixteen. Angelou has even spoken of her support of abortion even though she chose not to
abort her son, Guy. (Womensviewonnews.org) Angelou said that those against feminism don't allow
room for love and, ""I don't personally trust any revolution where love is not

Maya Angelou Essay
Her life was never easy. From the time she was born, Maya Angelou was subjected to racism, rape,
grief and dehumanization. She beared enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people
don't experience in a lifetime. Yet she prevailed. She forced herself to become stronger. And in
doing so, she produced writings, which in turn, helped others to become strong. Her experiences and
the lessons learned gave her confidence to be a teacher, a preacher, and an inspiration to millions.
Maya Angelou was courageous. Based on Angelou's most prestigious autobiography, I Know Why
The Caged Bird Sings, along with others, certainly reveals the occurring hardships and misfortunes
of her life. In Maya Angelou's first published ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, prevails in moments where metaphors correspond perfectly to
the emotions of Maya Angelou's relationship with Annie Henderson, her grandmother, whom
Angelou referred to as Momma Henderson. It is distinctly exemplified when three white girls
perform a handstand pantyless in front of Momma Henderson revealing their power of white
sexuality in front of a superior woman. Momma just hymns a song showing her granddaughter how
to react to the ridicules of the
"powhitetrash." Steven Butterfeld of American Writers views Momma's reaction as a victory in self
control(American Writers 3). Angelou exhibits a similar spirit when describing her visit with
Momma to a white dentist who reveals that he would rather put his hands in a dog's mouth than a
niggers(Contemporary Literary Criticism 12 12). The appalling parallel between the "dog" and the
"nigger" narrates the account of dehumanization noted by African American writers. The most
powerful emotional response in the first autobiography, I
Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is Angelou's contrary speech after being raped by her mothers
lover. On page four of American Writers the author describes the speech in the language used by
Angelou describing the tragic episode: Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when even
the senses are torn apart. The act of

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou Poetry Analysis
"Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like
teardrops weakened by my soulful cries?" Maya Angelou has been through a lot in her life that has
affected the way she is. Growing up in the 20th century was not easy, as it states in history books.
Being a female and of color, it was not easy. Being separated from others because of a shade of
color that is only visible in the outside and not knowing how one really is in the inside caused lots of
damage and affection to people of color. In both, "Caged Bird" and "Still I Rise", are about starting
at the bottom, hurt and in tears, to rising up and doing much better than before and being more
successful than before. Knowing that Maya Angelou was born in the 20th century shows how much
she was affected in both "Caged Bird" and in "Still I Rise". Knowing that segregation was still going
on in the 20th century, causes Maya Angelou to feel the pain she does in both, "Caged Bird" and
"Still I ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Louis, Missouri. Segregation began a while before she was born, year 1896 and ended in 1954.
Maya Angelou was of color, and being of color during these years was crucial. Just for being of
color you are known as someone that harm others, you were considered a slave, you are to listen to
the white people because if not you were punished or your life would be taken from you. In both of
these poems Maya Angelou acknowledged the fact that back in the day it was hard, if you were of
any other shade instead of white you were to do what the whites will tell you to do, you were
trapped under their rules and their rules only. In the poem, "Still I Rise" it states, "Leaving behind
nights of terror and fear I rise into a daybreak that's wondrously clear." This quote shows how after
all the pain she has been through she has started to rise up and leave all the bad and fear behind and
rise up into the light where everything is

Essay On Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is one of the most important American Authors who ever lived. She was an African–
American woman who spoke her mind and when someone told her she couldn't do something, it
made her want to do it even more so that she could prove them wrong (Shapiro). Her life was
incredibly difficult, but it made her who she was and influenced her writing and poetry immensely.
As Gary Younge once said, "To know her life story is to simultaneously wonder what on earth you
have been doing with your life and feel glad that you didn't have to go through half the things she
has." She is important because she influenced women, people of color, and anyone who has gone
through hard times. Maya Angelou is an essential American author because of ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Later, she dropped out of school and became the first ever black female streetcar conductor in San
Francisco. After going back to school, she became pregnant with her first child, Guy Johnson. She
moved away from her home and became working as a waitress and cook to support herself. In the
1950s, she married a Greek sailor. His name is Anastasios Angelopulos. Maya's career as a
performer began to take off in the mid 1950s. She toured Europe with a production of Porgy and
Bess. She studied modern dance on television shows and recorded an album in 1957. At the end of
the 1950s she became more interested in writing so she joined the Harlem Writers Guild and moved
to New York. She acted in the production of The Blacks and wrote and performed in a Cabaret for
Freedom. While Maya was in New York, she fell in love with a civil rights activist named Vusumzi
Make and they moved to Egypt. Maya worked as an editor of an English newspaper while in Egypt.
Angelou and Guy later moved to Ghana where Angelou worked as an instructor and administrator of
Ghana's School of Music and Drama as well as an editor for The African Review and a writer for the
The Ghanaian Times. She also worked at the Ghanaian Broadcasting Company. While she traveled
the world, she learned several languages including Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish, and Fanti (A
West African language). She worked with Malcolm X in his visits to Ghana and eventually

Maya Angelou Inequality

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