Stevenson 3Alone Versus CompanionshipTo be alone could mean internal loneliness or it could also be physical loneliness."Alone", by Maya Angelou, dives in to the author´s point of view of being alone. When onedeciphers the poem, the deepness and the quality of Maya Angelou’s word is presented throughher overall meaning. The poem might be easy for one to decipher due to its simple diction,however, when one analyzes the poem the true quality of Maya Angelou’s words are presented.Angelou uses biblical allusions, figurative language, her past life, and word choice through hertone, fiction, and structure to present the meaning.First, the text’s overall meaning is that life has to be lived with the companionship ofother people. There is an …show more content…
Overall, Angelou makes the readers thinkdeeper into the allusions than just on the surface of the words.Secondly, through Angelou´s use of figurative language the meaning of the poem ispresented. There is an “O” sound in “home”, "moan", "alone", etc. She most likely used the “O”sound because in the title “Alone” the “O” vowel sound is enhanced. This makes it easier for themeaning of "alone" to be recognized because the “O” is so prominent. Another example offigurative language is a simile “Their wives run round like banshees” (Angelou 16). Someonewho is a banshee is someone who acts like a dying person. Just like the bread and the stormrepresent the dangers of being alone so does a banshee. With the multiple examples of how analone person might feel, readers are able to have a picturesque visual. All of the figurativelanguage compares the feeling of alone to a word or phrase. This makes the meaning become avisual and not just a word.Throughout the entire poem the vivid description of the dangers of being alone gives thereaders some hints and curiosity on the authors past. Maya Angelou had a rough past thatbrought her to write this poem. She had to start working at the age of fourteen and had her sonduring the end of her high school career (Wordpress). Having a difficult childhood taught herthat to overcome setbacks and hardships is through the help of other people. During this time,she also became a sex worker(Buxton). Her past is not what defines her but she has
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 an African 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
n American history, racial inequality has been a prevalent issue for many decades. Slavery is America's original sin. In the 1930s, racial inequality and segregation lived and breathed well. At this point in time, segregation in schools and other public places was still present. For preposterous reasons, white and black people had separate water fountains, restaurants, rest rooms, and areas on the bus. During this time full of racism and racial inequality, Maya Angelou was just a little girl growing up in St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is a town in the South, like many others, had inequalities at the time. In 1938 Maya Angelou was only ten years old. At this age, she worked for a lady named Mrs. Viola Cullinan. Maya Angelou wrote briefly about her time spent working for Mrs. Cullinan in her short story “Mary.” Maya Angelou's’ use of vivid, direct characterization and alternating childish voice to mature adult narrative diction filtered through her authentic first person point of view helps to prominently establish the theme of Angelou’s distaste for racial inequality throughout the short story.
In “My First Lifeline” written by Maya Angelou, the author vividly explains a lifeline thrown to her in a time of need. The essay became a reflection of Angelou’s childhood and presented the reasoning behind some of the traits she acquired. Angelou utilizes vernacular speech, figurative language, and sensory details to aid in expressing the first lifeline thrown at her.
I'm going to be analyzing the short story, New Directions, By Maya Angelou. It's a story with a strong theme of courage. A book that reminds us that we can still make a name for ourselves, even if we have to do it alone. I'll be discussing a few of the key elements of the story such as the plot, setting, and mood in this analysis.
Maya Angelou’s poetry occupies a very special position in her development as a writer (Chow 1). As a child, Angelou went through five years of complete silence after she was raped at the age of seven years old, by a man named, Mr. Freeman. As a result of telling about her traumatic experience, her uncle’s literally kicked the man that raped her to death. Beings she spoke of her traumatic experience and the result of the man dying, she then imagined that her voice had the potential to kill. Thanks to her teacher, Bertha Flowers, at school Angelou started writing poetry as a means of expression of her life events through her poetry (Chow 1). Poetry thus played an essential part in the recovery of her voice, which in
Maya Angelou, named at birth, Marguerite Johnson was on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her and her family moved from St. Louis to Stamps, Arkansas, where she was raised growing up. Maya Angelou was an American author, dancer, screenwriter, actress, poet and civil rights activist. Angelou gained a majority of her fame with the memoir she wrote in 1969, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This memoir made literary history as being the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman. Angelou received many awards and honors throughout her entire career. These awards included two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 2005 and 2009. Angelou became one of the most legendary and influential
Maya Angelou’s “Alone” is an incredible narrative poem that readers can relate to. This poem is about realizing that no matter who you are, or where you come from, or how much money you have, you need other human beings to survive in this world. In life you need people who love you and help you through hardships. The poem is easy to read and understand because of the simplicity of the diction. Angelou uses the phrase, “That nobody, / But nobody / Can make it out here alone,” to get her point across. The fact that she uses the phrase to make a point allows the reader to look past the trite. The tone of the poem is yearning. Angelou brilliantly uses assonance, alliteration, figurative language, and AB, AB rhyme. The meaning of this poem is one of great importance.
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.
In the poem ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou, the poet uses repetition, metaphors and similes to express to her audience about how she has overcome racism in her life through demonstrating a strong, proud and defiant attitude to inspire others.
Maya Angelou is terrific performer, singer, filmmaker, and civil-rights activist. She is a phenomenal woman, one thing that she does best is writing. She is still living today, I believe her legend will never die. If one would talk to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her life is blissful now, it was not always perfect. Maya beard enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people do not experience in a lifetime. Her experiences and the lessons learned encouraged her to help others become strong. Maya Angelou is one of the best examples of someone overcoming rape, being mute for several years, and having a child at a young age to achieve success of becoming an accomplished
“You have tried to destroy me and although I perish daily I shall not be moved,” (Angelou, 2014), says Maya Angelou in her Commencement speech to the 1992 Spelman College graduates. Poet and award-winning author, Maya Angelou, is most well known for her poetry, essay collection, and memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou happened to be the first black female cable car conductor who later started a career in theatre and music (Maya Angelou: Poet and Historian, n.d.). Once her acting and musical career began to take off, Angelou began touring with productions and released her first album Miss Calypso (Maya Angelou Fast Facts, 2017). Later, Angelou earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in the play Look Away and an Emmy Award nomination for the work she performed in the television mini-series Roots (Maya Angelou: Poet, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Activist, 2017). Angelou was also the first African American woman to have her screenplay produced (Maya Angelou: Poet, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Activist, 2017). Out of the number of poetry collections Angelou published, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Die happened to be her most famous collection that was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize (Maya Angelou: Poet, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Activist, 2017). The focus of this paper is to critique Angelou’s credibility, sincerity, and appeal to her whole audience in her delivery during the Spelman Commencement Address in 1992.
There are certain possessions that can have an eminent value to an individual. It could be a name, or an item that was given to them from someone special. When that one thing is taken away, it could destroy them. In the story “What’s Your Name Girl?” by Maya Angelou, a girl named Margaret lost her individuality by being renamed Mary by her employer Mrs. Cullinan.
Throughout the years, sports have become a major part of society. Sports, a large percentage of the time, are a part of peoples’ lives in one way or another. Whether they participate in them or just enjoy watching them, sports are a big deal to the majority of people. There are also some individuals who have redefined the expectations when it comes to certain sports. For instance, Babe Ruth redefined the way people think about baseball, or Michael Jordan completely changing the game of basketball. But Joe Louis and Venus and Serena Williams have changed their games in a way no one could have imagined. Although “Champion of the World” by Maya Angelou and “Woman Who Hit Very Hard and How They’ve Changed Tennis” by Michael Kimmelman are different, they are similar in the ways they show how the respected athletes, Joe Louis and the Williams sisters, changed the game and were seen using symbolism in racial and sexual progression.
People tend to disagree on whether America is a place to find individuality or lose it. The "melting pot" description of America as a place to come adopt a set of ideals and lose a heritage is a common one, and Maya Angelou and Richard Rodriguez are two modern writers who have taken hold of this idea and offered their own opinions on the matter. Maya Angelou weaves her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" around the images of the Rock, the River, and the Tree, using them as symbols for the facets of America. Each of them have physical qualities that can, in parallel thinking, align with aspects of American society. By capitalizing them, Angelou creates a constant reminder that the Rock, the River, and the Tree are not merely part of the physical environment, but they represent parts of the American environment;
Maya Angelou is one out of the best known poets. She has written a lot of poems that inspires and assist people with their lives. She has a “desire humbleness to learn and experience all that life has to offer her” (gale biography in context, “Maya Angelou More than a Poet”) which makes her poems have a meaning to them. In addition, Maya Angelou got a lot of pieces of poems considered equality to her experience as a human of the United States during race times and her experience as a person who worked with other civil right activist. Maya Angelou uses deep themes that leaves the reader to think about the topic is being talked about. In her poem, “Still I Rise” she talks metaphorically about discrimination. In the poem, it states, “does my haughtiness offend you? ( the poetry foundation, “Maya Angelou”). This quote from the poem shows how the rest of the poem is about people believe they is better than other people and that the other people should suffer because they are inferior to the people, but the people being abused should not be embarrassed of who they are and be thankful for life(“Maya Angelou More than a Poet 1”).