Maya Angelou Equality

Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist, author, and poet. She wrote many books and poems that conveyed the vivid experiences in her life. Maya Angelou’s works are well known and she is an eminent writer. One poem in particular that is well known is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” written in 1969. In this work she described racial inequality, and the lack of freedom African Americans experienced in the 1930’s and 40’s. Maya Angelou uses many Rhetorical strategies and literary devices to describe the lack of racial freedom in the world at this time.

‘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

Angelou was born in Missouri in 1928. She spent most of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, pre Civil Rights Movement with her grandmother and her older brother. Angelou is most known for writing the poem Caged Bird. In the first stanza about the caged bird, Angelou declares that the bird, “can seldom see through/ his bars of rage/ his wings are clipped and/ his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing”(Caged Bird). Angelou uses the bird as a metaphor for oppressed African Americans during this time period; the bird is held back by a barrier, just like African Americans were held back by unjust laws, a corrupt legal system, and their white peers who saw them as inferior. Similar to the bird, Angelou felt held back by others, but she did not let the “bars of rage” hold her back from her potential so, like the bird, she “opened her throat to sing” and used her voice to protest for herself and those who could not advocate for themselves.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” depicts two birds which are used as metaphors to express the state in which the two classes of people live. In one description the poem describes the standard of living of a bird of privilege which alludes to the lives of whites. Then it describes caged birds whom of which are crying out for freedom, and are meant to represent African Americans during this time. It describes the feeling of being trapped and calling out for

Perhaps the reason that Maya’s poetry has had such a lasting impact on Americans is because of her poems such as ‘Caged Birds’ and ‘Still I Rise’ that demonstrate the issues that African – Americans faced, which she has done through the power of her words. She also challenges the readers with the theme of oppression that is carried out through her pomes as she felt very strongly about it by being surrounded by it her entire life. Maya Angelou has left an everlasting mark by influencing the society through her poems by inspiring others to persist towards their goals and dreams with strength and pride. Overall, Maya Angelou’s work can be attributed to the fact that her personal and cultural experiences of power have not been forgotten by overcoming adversity and oppression, which is clearly reflected in her inspiration body of work seen

Maya Angelou, an African-American woman, wrote the poem, “Still I Rise,” in 1978 when racism was still prominent. Maya Angelou was reaching out to a racist community to prove oppression will not bring her down. Angelou brings up topics of what she and every other African-American person has to endure when living in their communities, and how they feel. She also brings up topics of oppression and marginalization throughout this speech to state that she will continue to rise up above it. Maya Angelou utilizes rhetorical questions, hateful diction, as well as, similes and metaphors to prove to others that she, and other African-American’s will rise against the racism and oppression they face.

Shown in the phrase, “Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides...Still I'll rise.” Angelou compares herself and her unwavering willpower to the forces of nature. Evoking an image of something bigger than any single person. This is significant because it gives that audience of the attitude that she holds, her will is a force of nature, untouchable and certain, something that could not fall to a human. Diction plays another big part in her message as Angelou never explicitly mentions gender or women throughout her poem. Instead she uses words like “sassiness”, “hauntiness” and “sexiness” which society deems improper, holding negative connotation regarding femininity. By choosing these words, Angelou is reclaiming the meaning- that women can talk back and be proud. Through her choice of diction, the audience gains understanding that this is a personal battle, a defence of her identity. Furthermore, the repetition of “I

She wrote an award winning book by the name of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” (Nelson). The meaning behind the title was a bird trying to escape its cage which made reference to Angelou’s life because of her struggle with racism and her trying to escape it. Growing up a black women was not easy for Angelou, but thanks to her grandmother, she “learned pride and self-confidence” (“Maya Angelou Biography”). Maya Angelou was also a civil rights activist and singer (“Maya Angelou Biography”). She fought for her rights as a black and for all blacks and whites to be equal. As for her songwriting, Angelou said “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl back into my loneliness.”

Maya Angelou’s debut autobiography is an article of literature that depicts the life of a young black girl growing up in a world pitted against her, and the resilience she found in herself in order to survive. Angelou is a voice that is not often heard. In a world dominated by a white male narrative, the plights of the minority are often overshadowed. Thus, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an imperative novel as it articulates the life of not only Angelou, but also of the unique experiences that black women in the Jim Crow era faced.

Maya Angelou’s poem, Still I Rise, showed her audience that any oppression could be oppressed with hard work. She showed that anyone could overcome any type of oppression by sustaining the strength to strive for the ultimate goal. Her words inspired the African American population. Still I Rise showed the African American people that nobody could stop her from rising to the top. “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise.”

In her autobiography, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou portray her struggles as a young black girl, growing up in the South. Through difficult and scaring experiences, Maya Angelou writes her autobiography to deliver her message. Angelou embodies a “caged bird” in her autobiography to describe the hardships of racism and oppression she faces as a young black girl.

This is a quote from one of Maya Angelous most popular poems “Caged Bird”, it is about the civil rights movement. The bird symbolizes the African Americans and the cage are the white people who are keeping them from their rights.They are keeping them in a cage and not letting them experience what is outside. Freedom. Maya Angelou impacted the Civil Rights by cooperating with others, contributing time, money, and most of anything that she had. And she did it all with the goal of many others, to make a difference.

Maya Angelou was considered numerus things during her life she was an author, poet, actor, director, singer, dancer, writer and civil rights activist. She was considered one of the most renowned and influential voices of current views. She is one of the few recognisable civil rights activist working right beside Martin Luther Jr and many other leaders including presidents. Working in the Reagan and Bush ad ministry. She wrought a best-selling auto biography “I know why the caged bird sings”. Trough-out her legacy she continuously created poems promoting civil rights from her personal and social views. “still I rise “is one of her earlier working but is still consider one of the greatest poems on discussing the social views at the time of tis publishing and still hold value to todays current events. This text will be Analysing the poem “still I rise” But first discussing the experiences that Maya Angelou has gone through. Then Analysing the core message that the poem and how the two relates.

Maya Angelou’s autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, portrays the African American experience through stories of her childhood and early adulthood during the 1940s-1960s. Angelou grew up with her grandmother, Momma, in a segregated town named Stamps where she learned what growing up African American really meant. In this time period the Civil Rights Act was not yet passed, therefore racism and discrimination was at an all time high. Angelou along with countless other African Americans were forced to deal with ignorant whites. Growing up in this society was challenging for Angelou, she did not accept herself as she was and wished to be white at times. Despite the hardships, she learned to believe in herself and became proud of who she was (Angelou).

Maya Angelou’s autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, reveal to the world her personal struggles, conviction, and dedication, all of which inspire and enrage every reader in different ways. Marguerite (Maya) Johnson was born in 1928, the height of segregation in the U.S. Her book tells of the continuous struggles and prejudices that she, along with her race, faced through her life, including her childhood rape, family issues, and the constant theme of discrimination of the African Americans of the time.