On The Pulse Of Morning Poem Analysis

Maya Angelou
By: Sara
Umar

Marguerite Annie Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou, was an American author, poet, dancer, actress, and singer who has recently passed away on May 28th, 2014. She published seven autobiographies, and several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. Her poem "On the Pulse of Morning”
is her most spoken/well-known poem out there. At the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton, she read this poem to over 13,000 people, which was recorded for the entire world to see and cherish. Although a lot of negative things happened in Angelou’s life, she was able to resilient and move on.

“On the Pulse of Morning” is Angelou’s most successful poem because it's about evolution, growth, and freedom.

She has shared her vision that one day, we will all be grateful for each other, regardless of someone's skin tone or culture. In the seventh stanza of “On the Pulse of Morning”, she says: “ Each of us is like a single country with all its borders closed off”, which means that some people are close-minded, selfish, open-minded, or just want the best for the planet. “However, these man-countries are always being invaded by forces from the outside”, which refers to her saying that many people are trying to brainwash them into something they don’t

believe.

In another poem that Angelou wrote, “Harlem Hopscotch”, she used personification by
using hopscotch to describe the struggles of being African-American during the 1920’s. In stanza two, she said:“Since you black, don’t stick around”. By analyzing that verse, I figured that she meant how racist people could be that it was dangerous for blacks to live anywhere near a different skin color so they had to either run away or they might get hurt. In stanza three, she also said: “All the people out of work” which means that African-Americans don't get jobs easily because of segregation so most of them are poor and homeless. “Cross the line, they count you out” which uses personification. In hopscotch, if you cross the line, you’ll be out of the game. Maya uses this to her advantage and decides to write about how if an African-American will be out of business, money, dignity, etc if they do something out of the ordinary.

Maya Angelou expressed her feelings beautifully in all of her poems. Her experiences influenced the tone of her poems majorly. Poems are supposed to be full of emotions and Angelou's experiences, regardless if it’s good or not, makes the poem very special and unique. Based on my knowledge of Maya Angelou, she has been successful of putting so much emotion towards each one of her poems. Maya Angelou is actually known for her emotional connection towards her poems

In conclusion, Maya Angelou has been very inspirational and successful in her life. Her books, poetry, books, etc have been read over and over. She has achieved much in life and affected the African American’s lifestyle. Her poems “On the Pulse of Morning” and “Harlem Hopscotch” are full of emotions and the most well-written poetry she has written. She fought for equal rights and equality and after many years, she won. Even though she has been through a lot in her childhood and as an adult, she has been able to resilient and bring herself together quickly and write even more poetry until she has passed away on May 28, 2014.