Maya Angelou Essay

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...
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,
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Maya Angelou: Biographical Case Study
Biographical Case Study: Maya Angelou This paper explore two published articles that report on the
bio sketch research done online (Internet) and offline (non–Internet) of the biographical timeline of
Maya Angelou, the Poet, Author, and Historian. Her work life, upbringing, personal life and
accomplishments will be depicted in this paper. In this biography, I will explore Mrs. Angelou's
life from birth to her subsequently death in 2014. Along the way, we will see why this woman was
famous in her own right as a pioneer, and a renaissance woman. The life of this famous Black
African American poet, became apparent when she wrote the book 'I know why the Cage Bird
sings'. To know Maya Angelou you would have to read this book to understand her taught as a
black woman living in America. The story of her childhood living in Stamps, Arkansas with her
brother is well documented due to the subsequent divorce of her parents and the sexual abuse she
suffered at age seven under the watch of her mother. The ordeal quite young 'Maya' who was given
the name by her brother was silent for five years of her life. Angelou and her brother were sent off
to live with their grandparents who had strong influences on them. The siblings had a strong bond
with each...show more content...
Maya became an activist with the intention of working with Malcolm X after returning to
America. Malcolm X was assassinated shortly after Maya arrived. Maya involvement in the civil
rights movement continued as she keeps herself active. She ended up becoming well recognized
as a spokesperson for the women and blacks on a whole. Her commitment of raising moral
standard of living in America was well publicized. Her involvement with Dr. Martin Luther King
came about by hearing him speak at a rally. Again before she could fulfill the roll given to her by
him he was

Essay on Maya Angelou
Distress in Maya Angelou's Life
Marguerite Ann Johnson, commonly known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St.
Louis, Missouri. She is a famous African–American poet, novelist, and playwright and also worked
during the civil rights: "Angelou is a very remarkable Renaissance woman who hailed as one of the
great voices of contemporary literature" (www.mayaangelou.com). She is also an activist in
civil–rights. Angelou went through many controversies during her childhood and adulthood; her
romantic life was never joyful and there are questions that come consecutively in my mind: how does
Angelou's "Artful Pose" demonstrates the attitude toward writing of her poetry? How "In a Time"
does reveal Angelou's ambivalence to love?...show more content...
This thematic element that is present in Angelou's work was likely influenced by Angelou's interest
in civil rights.
Angelou also had pressure with her love life which was always coming to an end. The thematic
element that Angelou uses is also evident in the poem, "In a Time". In addition, in the sentence,
"Left knows not what right is doing" this thematic element is obvious; the poet's choice to use words
such as, "Left" "right" and "not" seem to show the tension among the heart and brain. Angelou has
been married three times and shows the trouble she has had with her romantic life. Although, the
lines,
Joy is brief [...] Then pain stalks in to plunder. (10–12) sustain this frequent element because
happiness that one gets from love is short in time and inevitably love always turns in to heart
break and heartbreak turns into distress. Angelou herself felt grief when she was sexually abused
and raped by her mother's boyfriend. Also, the diction used in this poem, with words such as,
"secret wooing" and "tomorrow's ruin" seem to further advise that "wooing ruin[s]" a woman,
making her greedy and needy for love when she should be fulfilled by other pursuits. Angelou wasn't
able to fulfill her own pursuits when she remained mute for five years. As mentioned earlier, this
thematic element that is present in Angelou's work was likely influenced by Angelou's early
childhood trauma and failed marriages. Angelou felt guilty when her mother's boyfriend was killed
and

Maya Angelou Biography Essay
1924.Also his parents name is Maya Angelou,Richard Wright,and Toni Morrison. And the High
Schools he went to is, The New School,DeWitt Clinton High School. His hobbies were writing
books he was a novelist and a storyteller.
And for his career is that he wrote novels, books and fiction and nonfictional stories. His
achievements were winning the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US and Canada. He
wrote for 63 years.
And for his interesting facts are that he loved people and he wrote 40 books.He wrote so many
book, and novels. He has known talents but writing books. But unfortunately he died in 1987 on
dec.2

Maya Angelou Research Paper
Maya Angelou was an inspiring activist, poet, and woman. Angelou was born in St. Louis,
Missouri on April 4, 1928. Throughout her lifetime she explored her career options as an actress,
dancer, singer, writer, and editor among many other careers. Angelou had a tough childhood. Her
parents divorced when she was very young and she was sent to live with her grandmother in
Arkansas along with her brother Bailey. As anAfrican American, Angelou experienced
discrimination and racial prejudices. Angelou gave birth to her son Guy, at the age of sixteen and
married her first husband Tosh Angelos, at the age of twenty–four. Angelou and Tosh divorced years
later however, she did get married a couple of more times. Angelou experienced many...show more
content...
Flowers. Mrs. Flowers was the one who helps Maya regain her voice. She used her unusual
techniques to gain Maya's confident. She knew that Maya like poetry and used that as a
reinforcement to free her voice. "That's good, but not good enough. Words mean more than what is
set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning
(Street, 2017)," those where Mrs. Flower words to Maya. Furthermore, Mrs. Flowers challenge
Maya by stating "you do not love poetry, not until you speak it (Street, 2017)." It was that saying
and Mrs. Flower's actions that encourage Maya to speak again at the age of 13. Maya's teacher was
her motivation to become an educator in poetry and humanities.
Angelou did many important things during her lifetime. One that marked her life was working for
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X as a civil rights activist. She became a spokesperson for
African Americans and women around the country. Another thing that led Angelou to fame was
President's Bill Clinton invitation to participate in his inaugural. She wrote and recited the first
inaugural poem for his presidency. She read On the Pulse of Morning, and Americans across the
country were able to witness this special moment in time. This poem expressed the need for peace,
social justice, equality as well as racial and religious harmony for all people despite their race,
gender, origin or sexual orientations. Her poem was

Maya Angelou: Speak Up Essay example
Maya Angelou experienced a life–changing event at the vulnerable age of eight: her mother's
boyfriend raped her. As a result, she chose to be mute for five years due to the emotional trauma this
caused. Soon, a family friend named Mrs. Flowers, a wealthy and intellectual woman from Stamps,
Arkansas where her grandmother resided, read with Angelou and helped Maya to express herself
through writing. Mrs. Flowers taught Maya "words mean more than what is set down on paper. It
takes the human voice to infuse them with meaning" (qtd. in Nelson). Eventually these poems
helped Angelou to find the courage to speak again. Maya Angelou's poetry contains bold messages
and gives a voice to individuals who, at times, do not have the courage or...show more content...
These two events could have had a permanent negative impact on Angelou, yet she took them and
grew from them instead. Maya Angelou overcame her hardships to thrive, and as a result, she was
able to share thoughts and emotions through her poetry that others may also experience, but do not
express.
One of the first poems that demonstrates Angelou's ability to speak for the disenfranchised in a
bold way is the poem "Still I Rise." The poem could be an anthem against slavery, or it could simply
be an anthem for any person who feels as though he or she is being oppressed. In lines 1–4, the
speaker seems to comment on behalf of black slaves when she says, "You may write me down in
history/ with your bitter, twisted lies,/ You may trod me in the very dirt/ But still, like dust, I'll
rise." These lines show that no matter what oppressors may have said or written about slaves, the
black race would overcome with their indomitable spirit. Critic Sandra Cookson agrees with this
statement by explaining that the poem is "about the survival of the black women despite every kind
of humiliation..." and the poem "celebrates black women while simultaneously challenging the
stereotypes to which America has subjected them since the days of slavery" Angelou's sassy attitude
that appeals to a more general audience is shown through the use of questions she asks of her
oppressor in stanza two:

Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou Essay
"Today, [my wife] Michelle and I join millions around the world in remembering one of the brightest
lights of our time – a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman." (Statement).
This memorial statement, by former president Barack Obama in 2014, encompasses the feelings that
he and many others had towards Maya Angelou, one of the most influential writers and voices of her
generation. Over the course of her lifetime, over 50 honorary degrees, including the highest
American civilian honor, were awarded to Angelou. She is most recognized for her autobiographical
and poetic writings. Angelou's poetic works, specifically, "Phenomenal Woman," reflect her
self–admiration. Her confidence is credited to the overcoming of...show more content...
In the first stanza, the speaker states that she is not cute according to society's standards, and that
women want to know what her secret is. She tells them that her physical aspects, such as the "curl
of her lips" help make her into a phenomenal woman. Maya Angelou plays with the word
"phenomenal": it can mean something along the essence of phenomena, being perceived by the
senses; or to mean remarkable or extraordinary (Bloom 44). The second stanza deals with how men
react to her femininity. Angelou uses the only metaphor in the poem, "a hive of honey bees" to show
how the speaker attracts men. In the third stanza, there is a slight change. Instead of expressing the
speaker's physical qualities, Angelou makes known the speaker's inner mystery, which also resides
in her physical traits. The last stanza has a definite change in direction. The "self–image, full of
glory, inner pride, and innate individuality, asserts itself in the last stanza" (Bloom 45). The speaker
affirms that she is proud of the fact that she is a phenomenal woman, and that it "ought to make you
proud," as

Maya Angelou Research Paper
Maya Angelou is a phenomenal woman. She rises through all things that come her way and she
refuses to back down. Angelou chose at a very young age to be a writer and a role model for
many people. She believes that everyone should be treated equally and that the world should come
together as a unity. Angelou had many careers but is known mostly for her poetic creations. She has
come a long way from where she started and I think anyone can agree with me when I say, she has
made us all proud with her accomplishments. Angelou writes poetry to inform and encourage others
to carry on through the worst of times. She is a strong, confident, inspirational woman and I am more
than honored to be doing my senior paper on her.
"You've said that...show more content...
Angelou's concern for her son, whom she gave birth to at sixteen, brought her back to the United
States. By thirty, Angelou made a commitment to become a writer. She was inspired by her friend,
social activist, John Killens. She moved to Brooklyn to be near him and learn her craft.
At the same time, Angelou had made the commitment to promote black civil rights. In the next four
volumes of Angelou's autobiography, she traces her psychological, spiritual, and political odyssey.
She tells about experiences with Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Angelou writes about
her involvement with the civil rights and feminist groups in the United States and Africa, her
relationship with her son, and her knowledge for the hardships associated with the lower class. She
read her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning," at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. After
her reading of "On the Pulse of the Morning," the poem seemed to be showing up everywhere.
Clinton Pledged to protect the National Endowment for the Arts budget for Education and Arts. He
used Angelou as an example of these actions. An April 29th acquittal of Los Angeles, California,
policemen involved in the Rodney King beating caused a race war. This concluded with fifty deaths
and around two–hundred injured. There were about two–hundred fifty million people in the
population in 1992. The national debt exceeded three million dollars. Angelou influenced hope that
the

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...
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: An Influential Writer
Maya Angelou was an influential writer that wrote because she felt that she needed to remind
humans that they were worth much more which all emphasized the importance of the spoken word
and explained the nature of and importance of her education and her love of writing. Maya Angelou,
a phenomenal African American woman, overcame hardship to become one of the most influential
writers and activist of all time.
Maya original name was Marguerite Annie Johnson. Her name was shortened by a Greek sailor
that she married and got from his surname instead of using Marguerite. She was born on April 4th,
1928 in St Louis, Missouri. Maya had numerous of health issues which caused her to later die in
2014 on May 28th.
She practically raised by her grandmother,...show more content...
With over 50 honorary doctorate degrees Dr. Angelou became a celebrated poet, memoirist,
educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist." Life as an
author, poet, and writer she was a part of different organizations like Harlem Guild Writers and
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). She also sustained a job by working as an
editor. She had overcame the maximum of the longest running record for nonfictional books.
"Angelou was lauded for remaining on the New York Times paperback nonfiction bestseller list
for 2 years." Published cookbooks she is like a mother figure for girls with absent mother. She
also had prize winning documentaries that were written by her. The famous book " I know why
the caged birds sings" was forbid out of multiple schools because it revealed the truth about Maya's
rape the book later was a part of college courses. She had 30 bestselling titles out of 36 books. Her
career as an actor & singer she contrived her first album Miss Calypso. As a singer she was well
known for her well written lyrics and spoken word. Subsequently she cooperated with Quincy
Jones and wrote lyrics for B.B. King. She was also the 1st black to consummate screenplay. Being
an acted she performed in Jeans Gene's The Blacks and persuaded and produced Caberet for
Freedom. She was the first black woman in Hollywood to write, make, and direct productions.
Assured success for the original screen play an musical score for the film Georgia, Georgia authored
and producer of 5 part tv miniseries. "Maya Angelou became one of the most renowned and
influential voices of our time. With over 50 honorary doctorate degrees Dr. Angelou became a
celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil
rights

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...
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 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
The common themes and beliefs of differences and similarities are upheld throughout the texts are
presented differently but founded on similar thinking in several ways. The author of the poem, Maya
Angelou, presents her thinking with the use of repetition and comparison while the author of the
speech, Barack Obama, presents his thoughts with the use of an anecdote or short story. These
authors use different techniques to identify themes of equality and similarities despite our
differences, but have similar thinking. The theme of the poem Human Family is presented
throughout the text by the use of repetition and reinforcing the popular ideas of the piece of text.
The theme, although people are different, we are all equal, is emphasized at the end of the text when
the author repeats, "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." This emphasizes the theme
because the author repeats the same statement several times, suggesting that the reader should
remember this statement as a possible theme. This statement means that although we...show more
content...
The theme, we all have differences, but we are now all the same and strive for similar goals, is
presented when the author describes his story of how he came to be in America and how his story
differs from everyone else, yet he still holds similar hopes to others. He reads, "unless we perfect
our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes..." and
continues by describing his story and how he still wants the same for America as everyone else.
This anecdote helps to provide support for his theme and how it is still true today and his "idea that
this nation is more than the sum of its parts– that out of many, we are truly one." This means that the
nation is not just the individuals that make it up, but the whole of everyone similarly striving for the
same

Essay about Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou has dedicated her life to end prejudices faced by many black females in the 20th
century.
As an author, poet, and entertainer, she is known best for her strong portrayal of African–American
women. Some of her most outstanding work is the series of autobiographies that she wrote telling
about her childhood. Her work has contributed immensely to Americans everywhere. She has also
broken many barriers for black women in writing, entertainment, and in film making. Maya Angelou
is definitely a positive role model to people everywhere. Maya Angelou has made many contributions
through her poetry, writing, songwriting, acting, and film directing. She has written a series of
autobiographical books focusing on her childhood until the...show more content...
In addition to writing, she has had success in other categories of entertainment. Her screenplay
Georgia,
Georgia was produced in 1971, and she wrote and produced a prize winning documentary
"Afro–Americans in the Arts" which received a Golden Eagle award
("Biography" 1) ("Maya Angelou" 1). Her musical compositions have been recorded by many
famous people including B.B. King ("Biography" 1). Likewise, she was nominated for an Emmy
Award for her role in the hit movie
Roots ("Biography" 1). Many distinguished Americans have chosen her to serve on commissions and
attend very important conferences. Martian Luther King, Jr., requested her as the northern
coordinator for the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference; Gerald Ford appointed her to the
Bicentennial Commission, and Jimmy Carter named her to the National Commission on the
Observance of International
Women's Year ("Maya Angelou" 1). Maya Angelou has made an enormous contribution to not only
the black society, but to everyone in the 1900's. Maya Angelou's work has broken many barriers
for the black writers, entertainers, and directors. She has been a woman of firsts among the African
American women. Angelou was the ground breaker for many black women in script writing and
directing. In 1971, she became the first black woman to have an original screenplay produced
("Biography" 1). She was not only the first African–American, but also the first woman to read her
work at a presidential inauguration

Maya Angelou Essay
Maya Angelou is an American author who is known for her poetry and novels that lyrically
illustrate the experiences of African Americans and also acts as a spokesperson for black pride
and heritage (St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture). Although she speaks for people of
color, her messages of hope and strength appeal to people of all ages and races. Angelou is best
known for her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in which she recalls herself as a
young African American girl finding self–confidence in a highly prejudice world. Maya Angelou's
work should still be taught in schools today because of her focus on civil rights and feminism,
which continues to be a pressing issue in today's society.
Born...show more content...
The first biography in her series and the book she is most known for, I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings(Italicize), gives insight into how young African Americans saw the world ("Themes and
Construction: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."). She talks about the many women who had
contributed to her success in life, including her mother, grandmother, and high–school teacher
("Themes and Construction: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."). She explains their similar
struggles through childhood and how that taught her to push through what she was going through.
She portrays the male support as negative with no help from them towards her success. The novel
is a feminist manifesto that tells the story of a shy, awkward, segregated black girl who blossoms
into a confident, headstrong woman ("Themes and Construction: I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings."). This theme is showed within in the novel as Angelou writes "The fact that the adult
American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and
even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors
and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance," (Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings.). Although it is an

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...
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

Essay On Maya Angelou
Saviona Williams
Mr. Vollmer
English
5 October 2017 America's Poet The life experiences of the late Maya Angelou–author, poet, actress,
singer, dancer, playwright, director, producer– became the key element of her most prominent work,
a lyrical poet telling the stories of what it means to be an African American; having a wide range,
multi–series autobiographies that lays the foundation of her identity as a American black woman.
The acclaimed Maya Angelou's legacy not only impacted American culture that will resonate with
people through history, but create insight to a whole new world. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite
Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St.Louis, Missouri. When she was three her parents divorced, and
...show more content...
She also became a member of the Harlem Writers Guild, who exposed racial problems and
experiences in the United States, introducing her to the movement and becoming a civil rights
activist (Feldstein R). Angelou began to write and assemble unions in support of civil rights and
American liberation. She moved away from the show business to take on responsibility of
making people think about the real racial problems in the world. She met her first husband and
moved to Egypt for his work but it only lasted for two years. She ended up moving to Ghana to be
with her son who was in college. During her three years that she stayed in Ghana, she worked as an
editor and a freelance writer and ended up joining " Revolutionism Returnees" a group that explored
pan–Africanism, in participating in this she became close to Malcom X. Angelou helped Malcom X
form an organization called Organization of African American Unity (Duodu,Cameron). A group
that worked on providing a unified political voice for Africa and non–Muslim African Americans.
She wrote books that shed light to what was really happening beneath the surface of the struggle for
civil rights in the United States, "Above all, she was a storyteller and her greatest stories were
true"(Duodo,Cameron), she accurately describes and recall painful events and debates. Eventually
she moved back to the United States due to her divorce.

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...
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

Essay on Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928. Her real name is Marguerite
Johnson, but she later changed it to Maya. She was born in St.
Louis, shortly after her birth her family up and move to
Arkansaw. Maya grew up there in the rural parts of Arkansaw, and later married to a South African
Freedom Fighter. She lived in
Cairo with him, there she began her career as editor of the Arab
Observer. At the request of Dr. MartinLutheran King Jr., she became the northern coordinator for the
Southern Christian
Leadership Conference in 1975. Maya is presently on the board of
American Film Institute, and is one of the few female members of the board of the Directors Guide.
(Source card #5)
Besides being a writer she is also an...show more content...
"The honorary duty of a human being is to love, and love I will," Maya Angelou said,
quoting from her work.
(Source card #3)
Maya Angelou gave hope to the hopeless and inspiration to the world. Through her poems and
stories she has made us realize the role we play, or rather need to start playing. She made a lot of
people get up off there butts and do something about the decaying world which lies around us.
Maya Angelou has given me alone, hope that I can make a difference in our slowly dying world.
Her poems speak about the turmoil our world is in. She encourages us to love, love, and love.
(Source card #4)
In her poem "Human Family", Angelou says, "We are more alike, my friends,
then we are unlike." Maya's poems, which include "Equality" and "These
yet to be United States", show the pain of humanity and the ignorance of the world. My
favorite poem "Phenomenal Woman" shows what it's like to be a woman now a days.
"I think the most impressive thing about Maya Angelou's poetry is that it is purely honest. It
is able to be graceful and elegant while at the same time, its poignant and true", states Trisha
Ireland a staff writer. I must declare I believe and agree one hundred percent with Ms. Ireland.
(Source card #3)
Maya believes God is the center of the universe, she believes this not only with her mind

Analysis Of Human Family By Maya Angelou
Human Family by Maya Angelou
Juxtaposition:When two topics that are brought up together, contrast to bring out the differences in
them
Example:"I note the obvious differences in the human family... But we are more alike than we are
unalike" Human Family, Maya Angelou, 1–2 and 35–36.
Function: The speaker points out all the ways that, as humans, we are different. The way we act,
the way we look, the ways we are amused, etc. They talk of how they once traveled the world and
saw all the differences in everyone, yet in those differences, found out we are more alike than set
apart. As they note that there are differences in the beginning of the poem, there is contrast in the
idea that we are all more alike than unalike. We think that the speaker is simply going to tell us
how we are all the same, but they begins by pointing out that we aren't. That causes the reader to
think deeper into the meaning and what it means if the speaker knows we are all different and
unique. This juxtaposition helps the poem as it brings up all the things the reader would be
thinking in their brains if it had simply said that we are all the same. The speaker states that it is
fact we are all different, but when looked at on a deeper level, we all share the same emotions and
are very similar.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Alzheimer's by Kelly Cherry
Imagery:The description of an event, object, or person that is so in depth that the reader can picture
it in their minds.
Example:"He remembers it as his, remembers the walkway he built between the front room ad the
garage, the rhododendron he planted in the back, the car he used to drive" Alzheimer's, Kelly
Cherry, 14–17.
Function: A man with Alzheimers is just arriving home for the first time after being in the hospital.
He is welcomed by, what we assume to be, his wife. As he arrives at the door he begins to think and
remember the vivid memories he has in this house. This imagery shows the reader that the man,
although he has alzheimers, can still remember the house he built and everything about where he
lived. He also talks earlier in the poem about the weather

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