Hillary R. Clinton once said that “There cannot be true democracy unless Women’s voices are heard” (conference in Vienna, Austria 1997). That very brilliant quote relates to a very strong woman by the name of Maya Angelou. Angelou is “America’s most visible black female autobiographer and speakers” (scholar Joanne M. Braxton). She is known for her speeches, poems, and books, but what stood out to me the most was her 1993 inauguration speech when Bill Clinton was sworn into the White House. Ironically, in her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” Maya Angelou uses clear rhetoric, prehistoric metaphoric images, and inspirational concepts to alert her audience to treat the world differently.
Born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. 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, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.
Dr. Angelou has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards. President Clinton requested that she compose a poem to read at his inauguration in 1993. Dr. Angelou's reading of her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" was broadcast live around the world. Dr. Angelou’s words and actions continue to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds, and heal our hearts.
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...the peoples of the world (and America in particular) and a return to nature. A terrific job was done inspiring many Americans to make changes and look for change in the world to start taking place.
Hence, Maya Angelou “On the Pulse of Morning” landed her worldwide recognition for her creativeness delivering clear rhetoric effectively, prehistoric metaphoric images, and persuasive inspirational concepts to alert her audience to treat the world differently. May I suggest that everyone read her books or listen to her live because in her writings and speeches she expresses her feelings and make people able to visualize what is going on. I am glad that I had the opportunity to view such an event. Truly, I was blessed by the words of Maya Angelou, and I have taken to heart all that she said that evening.
Works Cited
• http://www.quotegarden.com/feminism.html
There are many lessons we can learn from the one of the powerful leader Maya Angelou. Angelou was a powerful leader who lived her life abundantly. She was very vulnerable and bold sharing her childhood story (sexual assault) through her book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” She has learned the lesson of forgiveness. A great leader needs to learn how to forgive. According to Angelou, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.” Attitude is another aspect that we can learn from Angelou. She did not complain about her childhood, racism, divorce, losing her friends, or rejection. She has overcome all the obstacles with courage; that is another lesson we can learn. In her poem, she says, “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eye, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise!” Angelou knew who she was. She learned not to live according to people’s opinion. Angelou’s writings reflect who she was. We must learn who we
"Angelou, Maya (née Marguerite Annie Johnson)." Encyclopedia of African-american Writing. Amenia: Grey House Publishing, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 12 March 2014.
Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri. However, she was sent off along with her brother to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, after the divorced of their parents. Angelou did not have an easy upbringing, for she undergone racial discrimination in Stamps. At the age of seven, she was sexually molested by her mother’s boyfriend while visiting her in Chicago. Angelou was overwhelmed with guilt when she found out an uncle had killed her attacker. She went mute for five years.
“On the Pulse of Morning” by Maya Angelou. "On the Pulse of Morning," is a poem written by Maya Angelou. In this poem, Angelou depicts personification. Personification is an element of literature in which an object or animal is given human characteristics. Angelou uses personification to give the rock, the river, and the tree the ability to speak to the reader. In "On the Pulse of Morning", Angelou writes, "But today, the rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully, Come, you may stand upon my back and face your distant destiny, but seek no haven in my shadow.
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What makes a phenomenal woman? A phenomenal woman she was, Mrs. Maya Angelou truly inspired and touched people all over the world with her art and wisdom. On April 24, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Ann Johnson, I know what your thinking how did she get her glorious name Maya Angelou; well she was given the name Maya Angelou in her early twenties, after her first performance as a dancer at the Purple Onion cabaret. Growing up Angelou had stable parents her mother was Vivian Johnson a nurse and realtor, her father was Bailey Johnson and he served as a naval dietician. In about 1931 her parents relationship would resort to a divorce leaving her younger brother and she to live with their grandmother in Stamps in
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Maya Angelou was a powerful and inspiring woman who had many talents as a writer. Maya was faced with obstacles in her life as an African-American that lead her to experience racial prejudices and discrimination. This allowed her to recite her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s Inauguration in 1993 (Angelou). Angelou’s purpose was to call for hope of equality amongst the nation. She uses several rhetorical techniques such as symbolism, shift of tones, detail and parallelism. Combined, these devices helped convey a powerful speech towards the unity of humans.
Maya Angelou’s poem "On the Pulse of Morning” is relevant towards challenges facing the American people during the 20th century. She speaks of a rock, a tree, and a river. These things in nature symbolize how people should treat each other, regardless of how they look. All rocks, trees, and rivers are different, yet humans treat them all as if they were the same. Because there was a problem with equality during this time, Angelou empowered the country by saying "the notion of an inclusive America in which all people, regardless of their race, creed, or ethnic origin, would be valued members of the society,”. A solution to this problem was within reach. ”History, despite its wrenching pain, Cannot be unlived, but if faced, With courage, need
What if the social situation in America was the same as it was back in the 1960’s? Black people and white people were segregated, and the white people were treated much better. Maya Angelou and Barack Obama both lived through this, but they both believe that we have to come together if people want to accomplish anything at all. Barack Obama and Maya Angelou both express the idea of togetherness and unity in similar and different ways.
Maya Angelou was one of America’s greatest writers in history. She was known for her many writings and for her part in Civil Rights Movements. Maya Angelou went through many hardships during her childhood, the most prevalent of those, racism over her skin color. This racism affected where she grew up, where she went to school, even where she got a job. “My education and that of my Black associates were quite different from the education of our white schoolmates. In the classroom we all learned past participles, but in the streets and in our homes the Blacks learned to drops s’s from plurals and suffixes from past tense verbs.” (Angelou 221) Maya Angelou was a strong believer in a good education and many of those beliefs were described in her
Thesis Statement: Maya Angelou wrote this poem to help woman to rise above the discrimination and disrespect they receive. This poem is the inward silent cry of everyone who has been discriminated against at some point in their lives in some shape or form, individually or collectively and it characterizes the
“Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture”(www.mayaangelou.com, 2014).
Maya Angelou's life growing up was not always perfect. Given the birth name of Marguerite Ann Johnson, Maya Angelou was borin in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4th, 1928. Although she was born there, she spent most of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas with her Grandmother, Annie Henderson and in San Fransico, California with her mother. Maya Angelou is still living today and teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Maya had to deal with many hard things growing up and although it wasn't perfect, she's lead a very eventful life.