Maya Angelou Research Paper

Maya Angelou is one of the most famous African-American women figures. Many well known writers and people inspired Angelou to write some of her most famous pieces of work, also inspired her to get involved in the civil rights movement. Angelou has many famous works, however she is very well-known for: I know why the Caged Bird Sings. In that autobiography, Angelou pours out the first seventeen years of her life, then writes about her years following in another. Maya Angelou is a well known writer whose work will long be read because it deals with human conditions and tragedy in her personal life, not just with the problems of African Americans. Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, when her parents split up Angelou was very young. Angelou and her older brother, Bailey, were went to live with their Fathers mother in Stamps, Arkansas. When Angelou was living there she experienced first hand discrimination.(1) At age seven, Angelou went to go visit her mother and experienced a life changing tragedy. Angelou was first cuddled then raped by her mother's boyfriend.(1) When Angelou’s uncle found out her murdered the boyfriend that raped her. Angelou returned to Arkansas and …show more content…
In lines 1-7 Angelou describe the actions of a bird that is free that it interacts with nature and “dares to claim the sky.” Angelou then writes in lines 8-14 describes a captured bird with clipped wings and tied feet, yet he still opens his throat to sings. “so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill”. Angelou repeats the comparison of the birds saying, the song of freedom trilled by the caged bird; even though the bird is stuck in this awful places and no way to get out, the bird continues to sing. The free bird enjoys the trees, the breeze, the sky, and the lawn; the caged bird with his wings still clipped and his feet still tied continues, to open his throat to