Hillary R. Clinton once said that “There cannot be true democracy unless Women’s voices are heard” (conference in Vienna, Austria 1997). That very brilliant quote relates to a very strong woman by the name of Maya Angelou. Angelou is “America’s most visible black female autobiographer and speakers” (scholar Joanne M. Braxton). She is known for her speeches, poems, and books, but what stood out to me the most was her 1993 inauguration speech when Bill Clinton was sworn into the White House. Ironically, in her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” Maya Angelou uses clear rhetoric, prehistoric metaphoric images, and inspirational concepts to alert her audience to treat the world differently.
Born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.
Dr. Angelou has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards. President Clinton requested that she compose a poem to read at his inauguration in 1993. Dr. Angelou's reading of her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" was broadcast live around the world. Dr. Angelou’s words and actions continue to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds, and heal our hearts.
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...the peoples of the world (and America in particular) and a return to nature. A terrific job was done inspiring many Americans to make changes and look for change in the world to start taking place.
Hence, Maya Angelou “On the Pulse of Morning” landed her worldwide recognition for her creativeness delivering clear rhetoric effectively, prehistoric metaphoric images, and persuasive inspirational concepts to alert her audience to treat the world differently. May I suggest that everyone read her books or listen to her live because in her writings and speeches she expresses her feelings and make people able to visualize what is going on. I am glad that I had the opportunity to view such an event. Truly, I was blessed by the words of Maya Angelou, and I have taken to heart all that she said that evening.
Works Cited
• http://www.quotegarden.com/feminism.html
Maya Angelou is one of the well-respected African-American women figures. Maya is a poet, actress, civil right activist, dancer, singer, writer, educator, and a director. Maya’s real name is Marguerite Johnson. Maya was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. Maya’s parents divorced when she was three. She was sent to live with her brother and grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. She was very close to her brother Bailey and her brother named her Maya. When she lived in Arkansas, she experienced discrimination towards African-American. At the age of seven Maya was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend. “She only told her brother,” but a few days later her uncle has murdered the man who assaulted her. She thought her words have killed
"Angelou, Maya (née Marguerite Annie Johnson)." Encyclopedia of African-american Writing. Amenia: Grey House Publishing, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 12 March 2014.
Maya Angelou is not just known for being a poet, novelist, educator, producer, actor, musician, and civil right activist, but also as one of the most renowned and influential voices. Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Stamps, Arkansas. As a child, she had a passion for art. She attended public school in Arkansas and California, and won a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco’s Labor school. At the age of fourteen, Dr. Angelou dropped out of school and became the first female cable conductor. Dr. Angelou later went back and finished high school. A few weeks after she graduated from high school, she gave birth to her son Guy. Even though being a single mother and working different jobs would challenge her, her passion for music, dance, and poetry grew (Bloom).
Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri. However, she was sent off along with her brother to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, after the divorced of their parents. Angelou did not have an easy upbringing, for she undergone racial discrimination in Stamps. At the age of seven, she was sexually molested by her mother’s boyfriend while visiting her in Chicago. Angelou was overwhelmed with guilt when she found out an uncle had killed her attacker. She went mute for five years.
and make fun of black elders. And would talk to them any kind of way.
Maya Angelou and Cady Stanton both wrote about freedom, equality and achievement and success. In Angelou's poem “On The Pulse of Morning” and Stanton’s speech “Declaration of the Sentiments of seneca falls woman's right convertion” each piece were compared and contrasted based off what Stanton and Angelou wrote. Angelou wrote her speech based off a tree, and Stanton wrote her idea based off what was currently going on in the world. While some difference between Maya Angelou and Cady Stanton are evident, the similarities and differences are sticking.
What makes a phenomenal woman? A phenomenal woman she was, Mrs. Maya Angelou truly inspired and touched people all over the world with her art and wisdom. On April 24, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Ann Johnson, I know what your thinking how did she get her glorious name Maya Angelou; well she was given the name Maya Angelou in her early twenties, after her first performance as a dancer at the Purple Onion cabaret. Growing up Angelou had stable parents her mother was Vivian Johnson a nurse and realtor, her father was Bailey Johnson and he served as a naval dietician. In about 1931 her parents relationship would resort to a divorce leaving her younger brother and she to live with their grandmother in Stamps in
Maya Angelou was one of America’s greatest writers in history. She was known for her many writings and for her part in Civil Rights Movements. Maya Angelou went through many hardships during her childhood, the most prevalent of those, racism over her skin color. This racism affected where she grew up, where she went to school, even where she got a job. “My education and that of my Black associates were quite different from the education of our white schoolmates. In the classroom we all learned past participles, but in the streets and in our homes the Blacks learned to drops s’s from plurals and suffixes from past tense verbs.” (Angelou 221) Maya Angelou was a strong believer in a good education and many of those beliefs were described in her
“Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture”(www.mayaangelou.com, 2014).
Maya Angelou lived through a time where she was discriminated against for not only her race but also her gender. In her poem “Still I Rise” Angelou sarcastically talks about how no matter what is thrown at her she will rise above it and she will do it with resilience and confidence. Her poem discusses racism and sexism and gives minorities and women a sense of hope to overcome and endure both of those things. Angelou’s self-assurance in the poem makes you believe that you too can overcome whatever obstacle. Although this poem was intended for blacks, and women, and specifically black women, the poem helps build up strong and courageous people no matter what race or gender you are. Maya Angelou in “Still I Rise” uses both pathos and ethos to
Poems are used in presidential inaugurations to tell a story to America and ignite hope into the hearts of Americans at a time when the future may seem uncertain. Both Richard Blanco with his inaugural poem titled “One Today”, and Maya Angelou with her inaugural poem “On the Pulse of Morning” written for Bill Clinton, do an amazing job at painting a picture of a hopeful future as well as highlighting what unifies us as a country and as people. Though they both approach their writing in a different way, their messages are very similar and are very important. Richard Blanco’s Poem “ One Today” sheds light on the everyday struggles that each American faces no matter what type of background one comes from, with a very unifying tone.
“On the pulse of morning” describes the challenges facing American people through personification. The tree, river and rock have become symbols for peace, security, wisdom, humanity and freedom available to all people of every background and circumstance. People have been using hurtful and damaging words and language for far too long, though they were created for greater realities. “Have lain too long face down in ignorance. Your mouths spilling words armed for slaughter.” (Angelou) Return to a wisdom before you believed people were motivated by self-interest. “Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your brow and when you yet knew you still knew nothing.” (Angelou)
As I was reading through the story “Champion of the World” by Maya Angelou (written in 1959) I noticed that the author uses many different techniques like sentence structure, pathos, and logos to show and tell what she supports.
Maya Angelou's life growing up was not always perfect. Given the birth name of Marguerite Ann Johnson, Maya Angelou was borin in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4th, 1928. Although she was born there, she spent most of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas with her Grandmother, Annie Henderson and in San Fransico, California with her mother. Maya Angelou is still living today and teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Maya had to deal with many hard things growing up and although it wasn't perfect, she's lead a very eventful life.
Civil rights activist and writer, Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. At the age of three, Angelou witnessed a divorce between her parents and was sent to live with her grandmother. At the age of eight, she was removed from her comfortable lifestyle