Maya Angelou: the Lyrical Genius

In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Angelou uses various stylistic devices and rhetorical strategies such as similes and metaphors. Angelou’s use of similes are used in order to describe her own character. In this, Angelou remarks “For nearly a year, I sopped around the house, the Store, the school and the church, like an old biscuit, dirty and inedible” showing that Angelou's inner feelings of not being good enough to be picked or loved. Correspondingly Angelou felt her skin looked “dirty like mud” showing her inner insecurities of her skin colour being unattractive. The sense of Angelou’s insecurities can also be seen with the use of metaphors regarding Angelou's skin as she remarked “I was described by our playmates

Have you ever thought about becoming a singer, poet, dancer, screenwriter, journalist, civil rights activist, and a memoirist all in a lifetime? Well Maya Angelou did just that. She first began as a singer and dancer, next she became a journalist and civil right activist, and then she later became a memoirist, screenwriter, and a poet. She met many other role models and even fundraised for Martin Luther King Jr. She was also honored for different kinds of awards.

Maya Angelou, An African American poet, who has many legacy and dedication through her career as a writer, poet, songwriter, dancer and other. Maya angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. But raised in Stamps, Arkansas, by her paternal Grandmother “Annie Henderson” Ms. Angelou early childhood experiences has been going through a lot of trauma which she the only option were find out motivation to express herself in writing. She died on May 28, 2014 at age of 86 in North Carolina. Thus, Maya Angelou parents, “Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter” were divorced when she was very young, while she attends to grow up in Arkansas with her paternal grandmother. Ms. Angelou father was a Bailey Johnson, was a “brash,

Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, you do better.” And that’s what I’m doing now. When I was a young girl, my mother never really read to me. She would sing instead, and tell me stories about her childhood. She would tell me nursery rhymes and stories like The Three Little Pigs or Alice in Wonderland. I enjoyed every moment my mom would spend with me, and when she would act out some of the scenes and I would really be into the story with her, but reading wasn’t something that I would focus on.

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, 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.

Maya Angelou is one of the most distinguished African American writers of the twentieth century. Writing is not her only forte she is a poet, director, composer, lyricist, dancer, singer, journalist, teacher, and lecturer (Angelou and Tate, 3). Angelou’s American Dream is articulated throughout her five part autobiographical novels; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in my Name, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas, The Heart of a Woman, and All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes. Maya Angelou’s American Dream changed throughout her life: in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya’s American dream was to fit into a predominantly white society in small town

Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928. Her real name is Marguerite Johnson, but she later changed it to Maya. She was born in St. Louis, shortly after her birth her family up and move to Arkansaw. Maya grew up there in the rural parts of Arkansaw, and later married to a South African Freedom Fighter. She lived in Cairo with him, there she began her career as editor of the Arab Observer.

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

Maya Angelou, who was the first African-American to work in the San Francisco streetcars, accomplished many things in her life. This fact proves that Angelou was a woman who believed in doing what needs to be done in order to accomplish her goals. Angelou made an influence on the world with her books and poems that related to diverse people in different situations, but most importantly, she fought for African-American right in the early and middle 1900s.

Maya Angelou was a very influential African American artist and civil rights activist during the times of the Jim Crow laws in America. She had many different occupations that influenced her work, including work as a sex worker, a singer, composer, journalist, actress, and dancer. She also was a huge advocate of not only women’s rights, but also rights for African Americans. She was also a huge part in the Harlem Renaissance.

I asked Ms. Angelou what made her write “Phenomenal Women,” and she said that black women have big hips, big lips, and walk a certain type of way (Maya, 1994). She stated that it was looked at as not very beautiful, or intriguing. She wanted the black women to feel good about who they are, and so Phenomenal Women was born (Maya, 1994). She is also known for her famous memoir “I know why the Caged Bird Sings” (Walker, 1995). She wrote screen plays and a vast amount of famous writings and essays. However, she says that her most memorable writing was Phenomenal Women.

Maya Angelou is easily one of the best African American poets of all time, and she has paved the way for a lot of African American women in the literary world. Angelou is not only a poet but she is also an activist, the first female black director, educator, an autobiographer and that is just to name a few. She has a lot of accomplishments and accolades under her belt. She worked for Martin Luther King, as well as Malcom X during the civil rights movement. "Angelou had become recognized not only as a spokesperson for blacks and women, but also for all people who are committed to raising the moral standards of living in the United States." – Carol E. Neubar in Southern Women Writers