Maya Angelou Graduation Day Analysis

589 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Maya angelou summary of graduation

A smile expresses joy or hides grief. Specific words, however, solidify the intention and emotion of human interactions. Maya Angelou's memoir, "Graduation Day", illustrates confusing, condescending, and encouraging words from her eighth grade graduation ceremony. The fateful ceremony leaves a life-long impression on Angelou's maturing process of coping with adversity as spoken words transition from one position to another with each presenter. Spoken words inspire success or dictate failure, which shape the hearers' opinion of both the speaker and themselves.
Words direct emotions in a powerful way. Angelou looks to the principal of the Lafayette County Training School as one who's words instill confidence and encouragement. As the host of the graduation ceremony and the first speaker at the platform, the principal expresses himself with polite words, even though …show more content…

The guest speaker of the graduation, Mr. Donleavy, uses condescending comparison of the black school to the privileged white school in order to contrast the educational expectations of the schools to both the graduates and their parents. He manipulates the thoughtless words, "[glad] to see the work going on just as it was in the other schools", (Angelou, 2014, p. 185), demeaning the graduates' education. Angelou and Henry Reed reach the top of their class, yet Mr. Donleavy conveys no respect for the quality of education earned at Lafayette, condemning them to be "maids and farmers, handymen and washerwoman, and anything higher that we aspired to was farcical and presumptuous" (Angelou, 2014, p. 186). His words leave the feeling of failure upon the class which cannot be overcome, even by the recitation of "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul" (Angelou, 2014, p. 187). Because derogatory words allow lies to fester, Angelou feels she has "no control over [her] life" and thinks "we should all be dead" (Angelou, 2014, p.

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By Amy Poehler

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    In her ,“Harvard”, address, actress, comedian and producer Amy Poehler speaks to the graduating class of 2011. Her speech is filled with her uplifting sense of humor and her down-to-earth personality that you can’t help but enjoy. Poehler utilizes various rhetorical strategies throughout her address such as allusion, and conveying pathos in a humourous as well as an emotional way. By using these, she successfully encourages the young students and families at Harvard University to work their hardest and take on the world.

    Read More

  • Wellesley High School Commencement Speech By David Mccullough Jr.

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    David McCullough Jr., delivered the commencement at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts on June 1st 2012 to staff, the 2012 graduates, and their family and friends. The speech was straightforward and supplied valuable information for their future. . McCullough’s speech at times felt harsh, offensive, and insulting. His words and examples were given to achieve insight, knowledge, and awareness for each student’s future. The commencement expressed a great deal of achievement, but conveyed that there was more work to be done.  His speech was effective and appreciated through humor parallelism, repetition, and anaphora. His point of view has obtained respect and determination by all those that have been challenged and have heard his words.

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography Of Maya Angelou

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    "Angelou, Maya (née Marguerite Annie Johnson)." Encyclopedia of African-american Writing. Amenia: Grey House Publishing, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 12 March 2014.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis of "graduation"

    426 Words  | 1 Pages

    "Graduation" is an excerpt of the autobiographical book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, written by Maya Angelou. While the book is autobiographical in nature, this particular excerpt is much discussed amongst literary circles because of Angelou's use of both objective and subjective narration.

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou’s The Graduation

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    The same consistent, expressive voice introduces Ms. Angelou's effective strategy of comparison and contrast. By comparing what the black schools don't have, such as 'lawn, nor hedges, nor tennis courts, nor climbing ivy,' reveals not only a clear illustration of what luxuries the white schools in the forties had but also how unjust the system was. The adults at the graduation focus on the differences that were previously left unspoken. The black principal's voice fades as he describes "the friendship of kindly people to those less fortunate then themselves" and the white commencement speaker implies that" the white kids would have a chance to become Galileo's.... and our boys would try to be Jesse Owenes..." The author's emotions vary from the first proclamation that "I was the person of the moment" to the agonizing thoughts that it "was awful to be a Negro and have no control over my life" to the moment of epiphany: "we are on top again."

    Read More

  • Commencement Speech: Nora Ephron's Speech

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Commencement speeches, which are presented in American graduation ceremonies, aim to inspire and motivate. Successfully, Nora Ephron 's commencement speech addressed to the Wellesley Class of 1996; inspired her audience to "be the heroine of [their '] li[ves], not the victim". Through anecdotes, Ephron explored the differences between her education and the graduates at Wellesley College, to remind the women graduating that whilst society was different in many ways, in particular for women, "there was still a glass ceiling".

    Read More

  • Life Lessons in Maya Angelou's Graduation

    1703 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout life we go through many stepping stones, Maya Angelou's autobiographical essay "Graduation", was about more than just moving on to another grade. The unexpected events that occurred during the ceremony enabled her to graduate from the views of a child to the more experienced and sometimes disenchanting views of an adult. Upon reading the story there is an initial feeling of excitement and hope which was quickly tarnished with the abrupt awareness of human prejudices. The author vividly illustrates a rainbow of significant mood changes she undergoes throughout the story.

    Read More

  • The Struggles in Maya Angelou's Life

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    The early 1930’s a time where segregation was still an issue in the United States it was especially hard for a young African American girl who is trying to grow and become an independent woman. At this time, many young girls like Maya Angelou grew up wishing they were a white woman with blond hair and blue eyes. That was just the start of Angelou's problems though. In the autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou goes into great depth about her tragic childhood, from moving around to different houses, and running away and having a child at the age of 16. This shows how Maya overcame many struggles as a young girl.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of Maya Angelou's Graduation

    1852 Words  | 4 Pages

    The joy of the upcoming days getting close-up to a special event of her 8th graduation from Lafayette County Training School in Stamps, Arkansas was the main focus of Maya Angelou’s “Graduation.” A young African American flourishing scholar waiting with excitement and hope for her graduation moment, and to began a new journey in the real world. Angelou implies her overall excitement into the conflicts of issues that shows a reflection of societal problems that still occur in today’s society. It emphasizes how people have to be strong in everyday life as Maya Angelou did with all circumstances; referring to racism. All Maya’s dreams, hopes and expectations to her graduation day were suddenly shut by a white politician man known as Mr. Edward

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Two Commencement Speeches

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    Graduating from school is only one of the essential tools for a young person to have a successful life. A person endures many long years of schooling, and then the graduation day finally arrives. That special day is one of the most momentous days in a young student’s life. Happiness and sadness are the two emotions a person will feel on that special day. A student will experience happiness because of a significant milestone that was completed in the student’s life. The sad emotions will arise because of a terrifying new chapter in the book of life that is about to begin. Both Bradley Whitford and His Holiness the Dalai Lama give their commencement speeches by using humor to relax the mood of the crowd, making light of their fame, and giving the usual words of wisdom to the graduating class of students.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Maya Angelou's Eulogy For Coretta Scott King

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    In her eulogy for Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou uses figurative language and repetition to compel the audience to follow King’s example of peaceful yet strong advocacy of human rights.

    Read More

  • The Writing's of Maya Angelou

    1907 Words  | 4 Pages

    Maya Angelou is an author and poet who has risen to fame for her emotionally filled novels and her deep, heartfelt poetry. Her novels mainly focus on her life and humanity with special emphasis on her ideas of what it means to live. The way she utilizes many different styles to grab and keep readers’ attention through something as simple as an autobiography is astounding. This command of the English language and the grace with which she writes allows for a pleasant reading experience. Her style is especially prominent in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", where the early events of Angelou’s life are vividly described to the reader in the postmodern literary fashion.

    Read More

  • Metaphors In Maya Angelou

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Due to the time period she wrote in, Angelou would be criticized for her ability to write, “without apology,” of the fearful life she lived. However, now that is the reason as to why her work is so highly praised. Yet, critics feel as if Angelou’s work is simply overused and not appreciated for what it truly is. Instead of looking at Angelou as a poet, people look at her as an, “inspirational public speaker,” and can often be found on the front of a, “Hallmark greeting card,” instead of the pages in a textbook. Angelou doesn’t really show this criticism in her work but she does represent the criticism she received as African American woman poet in her time period. She often would discuss how people would misuse her race and treat them like nothing, and, “may trod” them “in the very dirt.” But despite these harsh criticisms of her work, Angelou continued writing of her struggles, and brought to life the hardships she had to face whilst living in this time period, which in the end, become what she was most critically acclaimed for, and the reason that out of the, “huts of history’s shame,” she conquered the fears, not only of her past, but of saying the words she used to be afraid to say.

    Read More

  • Prejudice and Discrimination Depicted in "Graduation", "Myth of a Latin Woman", and "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    Graduation by Maya Angelou really touches on the fact that discrimination towards blacks in the hundred or so years following the end of the civil war was an endless and relentless torture that had to be endured even at an event as innocent and important as an 8th grade graduation. To hear the superintendent go in front of the school and talk about white accomplishments made Maya feel insignificant even though she had n...

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is said that when we look in the mirror, we see our reflection; but what is it that we really see? Some people look through the glass and see a totally different person. All across the world identity is an issue that many women have. Woman today must be skinny, tall, thick, fair skinned and have long hair in order to be considered beautiful. Maya Angelou feels otherwise, as she gives women another way to look at themselves through her poem "Phenomenal Woman".

    Read More

More about Maya Angelou Graduation Day Analysis

Open Document