Lift Every Voice and Sing

call up to me. “Repunzel, Repunzel, let down your hair!” From my secluded tower, I would fasted my hair to the hook nearest the window, and from there, my hair descended. Up, up, up she would swing on my flowing locks until she reached my window. Every day, she came bearing gifts, often in the form of an apple. So crisp and delicious, I would eat it up. Anything she gave me I took, since a mother only wanted the very best for her daughter. Mummy Sorceress always made me feel loved; she took me…

In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou explains an African American girl’s perspective and beliefs. The novel begins with the author as a child, becoming a teen, and then reaching her young adult life. Influenced by the Civil Rights Movement of her own time period, Angelou makes clear all rights of an individual should be equal. Angelou struggles with personal tragedies, which include her parent’s separating, being raped by her stepdad, and the constant feeling of separation because of her…

Poetry Foundation, “To read the poetry of Joy Harjo is to hear the voice of the earth, to see the landscape of time and timelessness, and, most important, to get…

hover awaiting the next song. In their eyes, there is a sparkle, an impressive amount of awareness to the space they have just filled with sound. The people came to sing with a community, and what they experienced was a communal celebration of solidarity. For thousands of years music has brought people together. Along with their voices, they intertwined their souls for a specific cause. For worship, to get through hard times, or to celebrate music, communal song has been utilized to facilitate…

be challenged. I remember the pain and embarrassment that would visit my poor soul every end of school term. I would receive my report form what I considered a messenger of misery and quickly recede to a dark corner. Open my report form hopping for a miracle! Failed again! Have you ever failed? Got up and failed again? I want you to…

the stage life. The emotion and responses from your words and actions will leave you flabbergasted. The surge of energy is the best part! When I'm on the stage jumping and hyping the crowd, my music is like a conduit amplifying every word i say. I love how the crowd sings a long to your music and finishes your parts for you! That is when you know you're respected! Don't worry if you start off a little bit afraid, we all have to start from somewhere. Whether there is a thousand people or…

not represent a town where her aunty lives but a symbol of freedom, courage and power. At Nsukka only” her mouth which is always closed seems to be performing almost all the functions associated with it. She smiles, talks, cries, laughs, jokes and sings”. Her experience teaches her to be determined and stubborn. Even she is surprised to see her mother showing her defiance in the form of violating the so called rules of her household. Beatrice’s defiance is the result of the reason that Engene…

Speak English” is Jamila Lyiscott’s powerful spoken word essay given at TEDSalon NY2014. The “tri-tongued orator” explains that speaking three English dialects at home, school, and friends does not make her any less articulate or educated. She gives a voice explaining the complicated history and present-day identity that each language represents. Using emotional and logical tactics, she reminds the audience that the many dialects of English are as valid as the more standardized English used by…

The Power of Words in Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” This sing-song chant has echoed across school yards and classrooms in America for generations, often in retaliation of carelessly thrown phrases from bullies and friends alike. Despite its adamant positivity, the message proves to be less than reliable. No matter how many times the phrase is repeated, there is no escaping the fact that words do indeed hurt. In “Barbie Doll”—a…

temperate and fair than the beauty he sees in nature. And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; And every fair from fair sometime declines, The writer concludes that the beauty of the person he’s talking to is not so fleeting because it will live as long as there are people to read this sonnet. His beloved’s beauty last longer than nature because it is immortalised in the verse. This lifts her to a goddess-like status. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,…