Analysis Of The Poem ' Phenomenal Women ' By Maya Angelou Essay

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

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 was a poet, award winning author and an inspiration to many. She was born on April 4, 1928 in St Louis Missouri. As a young child Maya Angelou had it rough. Her parents split up when she was very young. Her and her brother, Bailey, were sent to their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas.

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 is a phenomenal woman. She rises through all things that come her way and she refuses to back down. Angelou chose at a very young age to be a writer and a role model for many people. She believes that everyone should be treated equally and that the world should come together as a unity. Angelou had many careers but is known mostly for her poetic creations. She has come a long way from where she started and I think anyone can agree with me when I say, she has made us all proud with her accomplishments. Angelou writes poetry to inform and encourage others to carry on through the worst of times. She is a strong, confident, inspirational woman and I am more than honored to be doing my senior paper on her.

To begin with, the tone of this poem is yearning for human connections. Angelou is longing for human relations as well as telling the reader the importance of these relationships. In the first stanza Angelou states, “Lying, thinking / Last night / How to find my soul a home / Where water is not thirsty/ And bread loaf is not stone.” She is trying to find a purpose and something to fill her empty void. Then she comes to the realization, that the only way to fill the void is to make healthy human relationship. “I came up with one thing / And I don’t believe I’m wrong / That nobody, / But nobody / Can make it here alone,” she’s yearning for love or a friendship. She also exemplifies her yearning tone, “Storm clouds are

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

As a matter of fact this particular poem requires thinking to understand that the writer is trying to say to the reader. This next quote is the last stanza in the poem “Phenomenal Women.” “ The need for my care. Cause I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me”(Angelou). Maya Angelou is trying to say in this quote that at some point in life a man will need the care of a woman. Although she might not be what many men would want, but yet again mot many men choose the most beautiful women out there, but they do choose what is inside of a woman such as their

“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.

“Those who were years removed from their own day of glorious release were anxious to help with preparations.” Children are described as trembling “with visible anticipation” and the teachers have become “respectful of the now quiet and aging seniors.” This illustrates the immense pride and unity that is induced by the graduation ceremony. Angelou also provides an elegant self-analysis of her own rank and importance within Stamps. In terms of intellectual ability, it is clear that Angelou is better achieved than the majority, for she stands at nearly the top of her class. In addition, Angelou holds great aspirations for her future; she does not let society’s low expectations keep her from excelling.

Unlike Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou devoted her life to inspiring African Americans to do whatever they wanted to do no matter what other people said. She also wanted to inspire people. Her poems Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise inspired not only the African American people, which is was intended to, but the whole world including men. Like Hughes, Maya Angelou did not think that one day she would be reading one of her poems at President Clinton 's inauguration. But she did think that she would inspire young African American writers that they too could become wonderful writers in a white society. Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary black literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman.

Maya Angelou, a mother, a dancer, a singer, an actress, a poet, an author, and a civil rights activist, has become one of the most influential women in the world. Growing up as an African-American in the most racial conflictive years, Angelou has faced many struggles throughout her life. Those struggles didn’t stop her from doing what she loved and standing up for what she believed in. Angelou never gave up and always fought for justice whether it was through writing, performing, or speaking. Maya Angelou’s life experiences have influenced how she writes and performs.

Regardless of the fact that Maya Angelou´s life was full of troubles and pain, she still arose from all and became one of the strongest writers and African American Activists. ¨ Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis Missouri on April 4th , 1928 . When her parents separated , her and her brother went off to live with their grandma in Stamps, Arkansas . Her grandmother was one of the very few African American who had own her own general store. Although her grandmother was a big part of her life especially when it came to self- confidence , unfortunately Maya had went to visit in St. Louis and happened to be raped by her mother's boyfriend at the age of eight. This made Maya Angelou feel completely worthless. When her uncles founded out that this happened, they went and beaten him to death . Although the man could never touch her again , Maya Angelou felt that it was her fault of his death due to telling his name . This made Angelou not speak for around 5 years. ¨

How are women portrayed in these texts? "Ain't I a Woman" and "Phenomenal Woman" are both portrayed with strong, confident, and brave female speakers. Despite this, both Sojourner Truth and Maya Angelou have their differences for being viewed as such. Beginning with Truth, her strength comes from her fervent views of women's rights. She believes that women are able to change the world by saying this: "If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again!"

The Strength of Women Is it unjust to grow up, not only as the inferior race, but as the inferior gender to well? Where would you even start in attempting to gain your equality? Maya Angelou had to go through this struggle during her childhood. She grew up thinking that her life was all just one big unfair event after another. Even though it was often a long journey, her fight for herself only took flight with the influence from the strong women in her life.