Maya Angelou Research Paper
628 Words
“Love arrives and in its train come ecstasies old memories of pleasure ancient histories of pain.” This is one of many stunning and thought provoking phrases coming from the Poem, Touched by an Angel by world-renewed poet, Maya Angelou. Originally born as Marguerite Johnson, Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St Louis, Missouri. Maya Angelou was raised by her paternal grandmother, and brought up with righteous principles and values. Angelou’s work is filled with subtle as well as forthright criticism and commentary on a variety of themes such as racism, and family, making her one of the most influential writers and civil right activists in the world. Angelou was raised in Stamps, Arkansas during the time period in which the south was heavy in its practice of brutality and racial discrimination was a common norm. Angelou’s family consisted of herself, brother …show more content…
According to The Caged Bird Legacy, a website created by the family of Angelou, Angelou was heavily influenced by the teachings of family, love, respect, courage and independence instilled in her by her uncle and grandma. Furthermore, Mrs. Annie Henderson owned a business, which was significant because it was during a time period when blacks owned very little. Angelou learned the value of work. This was not the only thing she absorbed, for it was through Annie Hendersons dedication to church and singing hymns at home where Angelou was introduced to one of the many arts she would love and master, music. Angelou’s love for the arts led her to study drama and dance at a school in San Francisco with a scholarship. Despite becoming a young single mother working as a waitress and cook, her first hand experiences with racism, single parenting and poverty would further pave the way in her works and participation in the civil rights movement.
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- Due to the time period she wrote in, Angelou would be criticized for her ability to write, “without apology,” of the fearful life she lived. However, now that is the reason as to why her work is so highly praised. Yet, critics feel as if Angelou’s work is simply overused and not appreciated for what it truly is. Instead of looking at Angelou as a poet, people look at her as an, “inspirational public speaker,” and can often be found on the front of a, “Hallmark greeting card,” instead of the pages in a textbook. Angelou doesn’t really show this criticism in her work but she does represent the criticism she received as African American woman poet in her time period. She often would discuss how people would misuse her race and treat them like nothing, and, “may trod” them “in the very dirt.” But despite these harsh criticisms of her work, Angelou continued writing of her struggles, and brought to life the hardships she had to face whilst living in this time period, which in the end, become what she was most critically acclaimed for, and the reason that out of the, “huts of history’s shame,” she conquered the fears, not only of her past, but of saying the words she used to be afraid to say.1114 wordsRead More
- The early 1930’s a time where segregation was still an issue in the United States it was especially hard for a young African American girl who is trying to grow and become an independent woman. At this time, many young girls like Maya Angelou grew up wishing they were a white woman with blond hair and blue eyes. That was just the start of Angelou's problems though. In the autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou goes into great depth about her tragic childhood, from moving around to different houses, and running away and having a child at the age of 16. This shows how Maya overcame many struggles as a young girl.924 wordsRead More
- As a black woman in the 1930's and the 1940's, little power or ever respect was given. There had been no civil rights movement and Jim Crow laws and segregation were still in effect. Blacks, in general, especially women, were not given a felicitous education because it was illegal to acquire or obtain books during that time period. Maya Angelou's autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was deeply shaped of her coming of age during the depression that caused her separation, the racism and discrimination she experienced living in the south, and the abuse she endured which formed her discernment of men.597 wordsRead More
- Marguerite Anne Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was born and raised in an era that involved the Great Depression and World War I. When her parents divorced at a young age, she and her brother were sent to live with her grandmother in a heavily racially segregated Stamps , Arkansas. She found solace in her brother, Bailey, in the hard times produced by the South. This segregation was severe in this era, especially for shy young Marguerite. Throughout her childhood, she was sent from her grandmother to her father and mother. All these different environments exposed Angelou to a series of experiences including: racism, segregation, music, and politics. These experiences were most likely what prompted her to chronicle her life through autobiographical works as well as poems. In these works, Angelou utilizes elements such as literary devices, poetic devices, allusions, recurring themes and symbols to portray1540 wordsRead More
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- A poem can capture the mind, soul, and the bare heart, but, how can one’s interpretation of a poem alter the true value of the poem itself? The answer to this question may vary, depending on one’s interpretation. Then again, that response can be used to answer every question this world holds. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. As a strong African-American woman, she has experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, yet also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. Dr. Maya Angelou’s notorious aspects in her personality have formally made recognizable and has affected her true style of poetry in a positive manner, along with the literary era her poetry is from and her past life experiences and influences.1503 wordsRead More
- Maya Angelou was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. She is a poet, historian, author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director. She lectures throughout the United States and abroad and is Reynolds professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina since 1981. She has published ten best selling books and numerous magazine articles earning her Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominations. At the request of President Clinton, she wrote and delivered a poem at his 1993 Presidential Inauguration. She also wrote and delivered a poem in 1995 titled 'A Brave and Startling Truth' in honor of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.860 wordsRead More
- Maya Angelou, more formally known as Marguerite Ann Johnson was born on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the child of Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter Johnson. When Maya was three years old, her parents got divorced. After they divorced, she and her older brother, Bailey Jr., were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. They were not sent in a normal fashion, however. Angelou and her brother were placed on a train by themselves by their father. Their father then put a tag on each of them that said “To Whom It May Concern, send these two to Stamps, Arkansas.” With only each other for support, Angelou and her brother made their way to Stamps. In Stamps, their grandmother Annie Henderson owned a general store. While in Stamps, Angelou was subjected to a great deal of racism and discrimination because she was an African American. She grew up during a time where there was an unequal status between blacks and whites. Throughout her whole time in Stamps her grandmother helped her develop a strong sense of self so that she could withstand those racist times they lived in. Her grandmother knew that if she could help Angelou understand who she is and what she stood for, then none of those racist people could get to her.1155 wordsRead More
- Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” was published in 1969 at a time when autobiographies of women, especially black women, were a way of proclaiming the significance of women’s lives, and examining issues of certain impact to women. It is the resilient and harrowing coming-of-age story of Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson, set in Stamps (Arkansas), St. Louis and San Francisco. It reveals the difficulties associated with the mixture of racial and gender discrimination experienced by a southern black girl. At the same time, she declares many issues, such as the relationship between parents and children, child abuse, and the search for one’s own path in life. Three of the influential women in Maya's life notably influence self-growth, strength of character and love of literature.767 wordsRead More
- Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was the first autobiographical work she released and -her first best-seller. This autobiography left readers and critics in amazement at her story and were impressed by her writing techniques. "I know that not since the days of my childhood, when people in books were more real than the people one saw every day I found myself so moved"-(Baldwin,Critics). In Angelou's autobiography she recounts a youth filled with disappointment, frustration, and, finally hard-won sovereignty. Sent at a young age of five to live with her grandmother in Arkansas, Angelou learned much from this exceptional woman and the tightly knit community there. The very essence of these lessons carried her through the hardship and struggles she endured later in her life, including a tragic rape while visiting her mother in St. Louis ...1312 wordsRead More
- Maya Angelou, an honorary poet and civil rights activist most known for being a prominent voice of African American culture, expresses the views of the oppressed in two different ways as society, her life, and culture changes. Growing up she had a troubled life, her parents’ divorce, being raped, dropping out of school, having a child, racism, and “losing” her voice ( CITATION ). All of these factors played a huge role in Angelou’s writing throughout her career. The variance in her views of the oppressed in correlation with her life with are best expressed in two of her very famous poems “Caged Bird” and “Still I Rise”. Although, these poems both are a voice for the oppressed, one serves as the voice of the oppressed verses those of the free and the other discusses overcoming the oppression.1034 wordsRead More
- Maya Angelou is an author and poet who has risen to fame for her emotionally filled novels and her deep, heartfelt poetry. Her novels mainly focus on her life and humanity with special emphasis on her ideas of what it means to live. The way she utilizes many different styles to grab and keep readers’ attention through something as simple as an autobiography is astounding. This command of the English language and the grace with which she writes allows for a pleasant reading experience. Her style is especially prominent in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", where the early events of Angelou’s life are vividly described to the reader in the postmodern literary fashion.1907 wordsRead More
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