In the poems 'Phenomenal Woman' and 'Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou, we see a variety of important ideas and/or themes that emphasizes fitting in today's society, encouraging others, specifically women, to be confident and independent and most poem a more in depth meaning to the readers. One of the main ideas in the poems that are pointed out is fitting into the society. "Pretty women wonder where my secret lies, I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion…...
The art of poetry is normally used in a very creative way to establish a certain message or theme that the writer believes in. This message is usually a simple one delivered by the use of figurative language. In the poem, “Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou, the use of literary devices helps to develop her message that society does not define beauty, but it is the way one carries herself with confidence that does. The poem consists of repetitions, alliterations,…...
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, they think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand…...
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Society, media and fashion industries surrounding us are constantly suffocating women to change their appearances to fit into what is known as the perfect woman. Girls are no longer there genuine selves but rather living in the skin of what the world has created for them. What Mary Angelou is trying to portray in her poem Phenomenal. Woman is that we should take pride in all the amazing features we have by accepting and loving our self-image as being a…...
"Phenomenal Woman," by Maya Angelou, describes herself from her own point of view. Maya Angelou talks of her "inner mystery" and explains, to those who canit see it, why men notice her. Using a very rhythmic rhyming scheme, she projects a strong self-confidence. Using phrases that describe her body help her to show that self-assuredness. Every action she makes, from "the stride in my step," to "the fire in my eyes", shows that she moves about a room like she…...
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou was written in 1978 and published in 1995. "Born Marguerite Ann Johnson, April 4, 1928, who became an American poet, memoirist, actress and important figure in the American civil rights movement, has been called America's most visible black female autobiographer"” (Maya). “Phenomenal Woman is a narrative poem to help woman understand who she was and what she thought she was. Also to help women see what they should be in a male-dominated society” (Is). “Phenomenal”…...
Passage 1 “ His twang jogged in the brittle air. From the side of the store, Bailey and I heard him say to Momma, “Annie, tell Willie he better lay low tonight. A crazy messed with a white lady today. Some of the boys’ll be coming over later.” even after the slow drag of years, I remember the sense of fear which filled my mouth with hot, dry air, and made my body light.”pg. 17-18 Racism was a constant problem…...
“Boys? No, rather men who were covered with graves’ dust and age without beauty or learning” (Maya Angelou 18). This passage is from page 18 of the book. The character, Mr. Stewart, is referring to the Ku Klux Klan calling them “boys”. This passage’s meaning is to show how sarcastic Mr. Stewart was, while the KKK is looking for someone to lynch. This passage is significant because it shows the amounts of racism going on during this time period and…...
Maya Angelou was a very well known African American female who was an author, actor, film director, civil rights activist, play writer, song writer, and poet. (Maya Angelou,2018,¶ 1). She was born in a really racist and segregated rural area in St. Louis. Angelou lived by her philosophy of “you can only become truly accomplished at something you love” (Maya Angelou). Since Angelou lived a demanding life, she found a way to push through all of the pain, hurt, racism,…...
The time when English class was solely about reading and writing is now officially long gone! With only over a month into my English 101, I have already gained a remarkable amount of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding not only about writing, (as one might merely assume) but more importantly, about history as a knowledge domain. I’ve also learned how to expand my reading comprehension skills, writing capabilities, and how to grasp an abundance of information about our past on an…...
As famous American Essayist John D’Agata once asked, “Can we call any genre a ‘genre’ if, when we read it from different angles and under different shades of light, the differences between it and something else start becoming indistinguishable?” (“John D'Agata Quotes”). This seems exactly the right question to ask of Maya Angelou’s 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This memoir describes Angelou’s transformation from a confused child into a successful adult, and it blurs the lines…...
“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” (Angelou, via brainyquote.com). Maya Angelou is a renowned 20th century author, and her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was a bestseller in the 1970's. Since then, she has become an actress, director, producer, educator and civil rights activist. Maya defied all odds as an African-American woman by being successful in times…...
Maya Angelou is an African American writer who managed to inspire people through both her words and her books. Angelou wrote about many things she went through in life. She put her pain into stories. She did that in various styles of writings. Angelou encouraged both the young and old to follow their hearts and do whatever their hearts desire. Lots of people adored Angelou, not only because she was a writer but because she was an amazing person. At…...
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”- Jane Eyre Freedom is a normal human right but in our author’s case, it wasn’t. In 2001 Alicia keys wrote a song version of Maya Angelou's caged bird poem. Both were called caged birds and were inspired by Paul Dunbar’s sympathy poem, which was written in 1899. In the three versions, a constrained and imprisoned bird wants to feel free and…...
Pierre A. Walker’s analysis of the book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou expresses how the race of African-Americans struggled back in the days when segregation was strong. Walker talks about Angelou’s book and how discrimination, race, and community impacted Angelou’s life throughout her childhood and youth. Walker also mentioned that for Angelou it was very difficult to talk about her life even harder to write an autobiography about her life, but what Angelou did not…...
The poem, “The Caged Bird”, was written by Maya Angelou. Throughout the poem, she conveys the themes of freedom and isolation by using the symbols of the free bird and the caged bird. The Variation between the two birds enables her to demonstrate her emotions and feelings about the two themes. In stanza 1, the poet introduces the reader to the free-flowing nature of the poem, which lacks a concrete rhyme scheme. This technique reflects the lack of restrictions faced…...
People are transformed by the obstacles they face throughout their lives in many different ways. They might use their encounters with certain obstacles as motivation to change and transform. The sources that these pieces of evidence are from “Little Things Are Big”, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, and the poem “I too”. Many people might regret what they did in the past and would change what they have done. For example, in the article “Little Things Are Big”…...
This paper is a book review of Maya Angelou's "Gather Together in Maya's Name", personal narratives and poems around the theme of motherhood. Maya Angelou's "Gather Together in Maya's Name" "A baby's love for his mother is probably the sweetest emotion we can savor." (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…...
This is a story of a black woman named Maya, who had to go through very tough times, severe insults and emotional derailment as a child and grows out to be a strong individual, thanks to a few influential persons, she meets in her childhood and growing years. The story begins around the timeline of 1930s, with narration of Maya Angelou's experience of being rejected by her parents after their divorce. Her insecurity, gradually builds up during her stay in…...
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is an autobiography written by Maya Angelou. She describes about her hard life “caged” growing up as a black girl from the South. Maya Angelou starts the novel about her life in the age of three with her four-year-old brother Bailey. They are turned over the care of their paternal grandmother in Stamps. She describes how the two children were sent away after they parents’ divorce, traveling by train across the Southwestern and…...
Continuing to read “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, I can see that the story contains a few specific archetypes. Such as the character “Momma” being the wise old woman, the archetype of the color “Black” and the plot being the archetype of finding home The first archetype is Maya’s grandmother also referred to as “Momma”, being the wise old women. Maya considers her to be a very stern and religious woman, but very powerful, proud…...
Maya Angelou uses caged and free birds to symbolize the dream of attaining freedom. The poem illustrates the contrast between imprisonment and freedom through symbolism of a caged bird and a free bird and then between their dreams and desires. Although the poem paints a picture of a carefree bird in a beautiful landscape the caged suffering bird reaching out for freedom seems to dominate the poem giving it a serious and solemn tone. The beautifully written poem opens our…...
After a childhood full of cruelties, disappointments, and being raped at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, Maya Angelou survived and became the most important civil, human, and Women’s Rights Activist. After her rape she was silent for 5 years, and only through the encouragement of her grandmother did she start to write and act. Her writings won her world acclaim and she was nominated for the National Book Award, a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize. She is indisputably…...
I've read this poem, “Phenomenal Woman” years ago but I have never forgotten it ever since—such is the power of Maya Angelou’s words. Whenever I feel sad, or experience anything that blows my self-esteem to smithereens, I think about this poem—it is one of the few that can instantly make me feel uplifted and empowered. It stirs the soul and affirms the human spirit. “Phenomenal Woman” is all about feeling good about oneself. It sends a positive message to women…...
Human NatureMaya AngelouPhenomenal Woman By Maya AngelouPhilosophyPoems
“Sister Flowers” by Maya Angelou is a descriptive essay taken from her memoir “I know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ” The essay is from the viewpoint of a young lady named Marguerite and the influence her neighbor, Sister Flowers, has on her during that specific time in her childhood. Throughout the essay, it is evident that Sister Flowers has an impact on Marguerite by the intense details the author gives when referring to her. As a result of Sister…...
In the story, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, there are lots of styles. Two of them include racism and displacement. At an extremely young age, Maya fulfilled the results of racism and partition in America. She had been told about the differences in between blacks and whites, which developed her belief that only blonde hair is beautiful and that she is a fat black girl stuck in a nightmare. However, Stamps, Arkansas, was so segregated that as a…...
The poems I decided to use are “Still I rise” and “Caged bird” By Maya Angelou I choose to do these poems because they both set a similar theme. The theme is obviously based on discrimination and racism in America between Black and White people. But although the themes are the same the messages in each poem are different. In “Still I rise” Maya Angelou who is the speaker is telling her readers about the discrimination she has overcome and…...
In researching poet, Maya Angelou, I was able to explore her personal life, as well as her writing styles and techniques. While she is an extraordinary individual, she portrays a strong independent woman capable of holding her own. A great experience in learning about Angelou, the project itself I found to be rather droll. Having to find criticism about one of the worlds greatest poets, was extremely difficult. The assignment was also time consuming, and I found myself often wondering…...
Maya AngelouPhenomenal Woman By Maya AngelouPoetryWriter
In today’s society, more and more inappropriate material is becoming acceptable. Children are becoming more comfortable with bad language, corrupt movies, and offensive books as they are exposed to this material more frequently. The age they begin to learn about violence, drugs, and sex is lower than ever before. Today’s generation seems to be more experienced and knowledgeable about these shockingly crude things than most adults! Parents can not stop this maturing all together; however, they can slow it down…...
An inspirational woman is that who embraces her times of turmoil and converts them to a learning lesson. She does not fear smiling in order to cheer up another person even if inside she is hurting. This woman does not allow gender, age, or race to hinder her from exploring life just like other people who are more privileged compared to her. This inspirational woman is remembered for her encouraging words that no one should live life with a catcher's…...
In the first six chapters of “I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing”, many events happen. One event in particular was the poor white children, also known as the “powhitetrash” children, disrespected Momma. When Marguerite was ten-years-old, three “powhitetrash” children approached the Store. As they walked closer, Momma told her to head inside. The children mocked Momma by imitating all her body gestures and stance. They also referred to Momma by her first name, which was very disrespectful considering the…...
Dr. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Baily Johnson, was a doorman, and, later a dietician for the navy. Her mother, Vivian Johnson, was a registered nurse. When Angelou was three years old, her parents were divorced. They sent her and her four-year-old brother, Baily, Jr., to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Henderson ran a small general store and managed to scrape by. She continued…...
In the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character, Maya, and her older brother, Bailey, have a very close relationship at the beginning of this novel. As children, they were each other’s best friends and they were inseparable. They did everything together and they even thought they had their own language that no one else knew. However, when they first moved in with Mother Vivian, their relationship starts to fall apart. “When spring came to St.…...
Maya Angelou is the author of thirty best-selling books. In a famous autobiography she wrote a novel titled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this story she composes a chapter remembering her childhood called “Champion of the World.” This chapter is a memoir during the late 1930’s when Joe Louis became an African American hero by defending his heavyweight title against a white contender in a boxing match. Throughout “Champion of the World” Maya Angelou uses language, rhythm,…...
...I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings transcends autobiographical convention by maintaining some traditional elements of African-American autobiographies while, when it suits her literary needs, abandoning others. The result is an unusually congruent, unif...
...Maya Angelou is an amazing friend and an amazing writer. According to Critical Companion to Maya Angelou, “Angelou died on May 28, 2014.” Angelou is a valued writer because she gives her readers life. Her writings inspire everyone. Maya Angelou...
...In conclusion, I agree with Walker’s analysis in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou since he makes clear points of what the book really is about and also he describes well the main themes the book have: identity, words, race, gender, r...
...Finally she returns to San Francisco with stronger resolve and assurance. She begins her fight against racism. During the war, she takes up a job as a streetcar conductor, against all policies for hiring Black people, at a tender age of fifteen. When...
...Maya Angelou’s autobiography comes to a sense of an ending: the black American girl child has succeed in freeing herself from the natural and social bars imprisoning her in the cage of her diminished self-image by assuming control of her life and f...
...I am very close to finishing the book. I can see that the story has a few important archetypes, like the color black, the old women and finding home. As I continue reading I’ll keep looking for more archetypes, and perhaps find more evidence to bac...
...Works Cited Angelou, Maya. The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. 1st ed. New York: Random House, 1994. 101. Arensberg, Liliane K. "Death as Metaphor of Self in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. " College Language Association Journal 20 (1976):...
...As Maya continues her journey, she realizes that thousands of other terrified black children made the same journey as she and Bailey. Traveling on their own to newly wealthy parents in northern cities, or back to southern towns when the North failed ...
...Because it is an autobiography, the reader has a better insight into her life during this time period. Because this book can teach some mature readers that are willing to look past the shocking material, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings should be avai...
...This experience shows how racism was back in the 1930s. Even though slavery was abolished in the late 1800s, there was still racism and segregation in the following decades ahead. In the South, blacks were not considered people to the whites. The whi...
...Throughout my life, I too have moved to many different places and schools. I was used to being the new kid and having no friends. I used to be afraid to even make friends because I knew that I wouldn’t be in that school for too much longer after I ...
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