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Analysis Of Alone By Maya Angelou

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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

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