Merry Pranksters

Maya Angelou, an African American woman who grew up in the 1930s and 40s, first published her story in 1969 and later the autobiographical movie about her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was released. Starring in the movie as Maya, Bailey Jr., and Momma were Constance Good, John Driver, and Esther Rolle. The book and movie both tell the story of Angelou’s hard childhood while growing up an African American girl in the South and overcoming adversity. Born Marguerite Johnson, Angelou and…

Have you ever been bullied or oppressed in any shape, form, or fashion? While the oppressor tried to keep you down, did you keep your head up and smile? That is what Maya Angelou writes about in her poem, “Still I Rise.” A motif that is evident in this poem, and many of her other poems, is identity. Maya Angelou conveys the motif of identity through her use of tone, repetition, and imagery. Tone plays a big role in the development of identity in the poem. In the beginning of the poem, the tone…

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage we can not practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous or, honest". -Maya Angelou Marguerite Annie Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St.Louis, Missouri. Due to their mother's addiction problem, Maya and her brother Bailey, grew up in Arkansas with their grandmother. Eager to adjust, she learned lot about life from her grandmother,…

The poems,”Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and”Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou were poems about slavery. Slavery is a practice of owning a slave. Each poem had its own unique feature. As for both of them, they both had a theme of slavery. Though, both poets had lived 100 years apart, their poems were similar. Their tone were both really sad. Their theme as I had said above, were also similar. The difference they had, were their rhyme scheme. Using the caged bird as a slave and the free bird as a…

For as long as I can remember I always had a fear of public speaking. From junior high school until my senior year of undergraduate school. My first experience speaking in front of an audience was in junior high school. The teacher asked us to pick a famous poet, recite that poem, and explain why we choose that poet. Since Maya Angelou was my favorite poet I choose her poem “Why a caged bird sings.” The poem describes Maya Angelou as a young girl who grew up with insecurities because, as a…

In the two poems, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou and “Sympathy” by Laurence Dunbar, these short works share many similarities as they both speak on being a minority in a white world. As Maya Angelou describes her childhood in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and the ways of which the world became portrayed to her because of her race and the time that she grew up in, she was a visual representation of being a minority in a white world. Also, in “Sympathy” Laurence Dunbar…

The color black is known to be one associated with negativity and wrongdoing, while the color white is considered pure and superior. Unfortunately, the same can be said when comparing ethnicities. It is not appropriate to judge somebody solely on the color of his or her skin, as they did not make the decision to be black or white. In Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”, she demonstrates how one woman can break stereotypes and rise above all hardships. Maya’s use of rhetorical questions keeps one…

Maya Angelou was a famous, nationally accredited African American author and poet who lived a diverse life filled of trials and success that influenced multitudes of people around the world. “A symbol of strength and leadership for the plight of women and the underprivileged throughout her career, Angelou drew directly from her extensive life experiences to compose her most acclaimed work, a multivolume autobiography that traces the foundations of her identity as a 20th- century American black…

Phenomenal Woman Amela Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Anne Frank, and Mother Teresa all are names that every person in this room knows. Each of these women held themselves to a higher standard than the rest and many men and women across the world admired them because of it. They adore these phenomenal women. The poem "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou shows the strength of a women and how her self belief creates an empowered and admirable model for all woman. My variation is an abstract painting of…

“Caged Bird,” by Maya Angelou Maya Angelou, a poet, a writer, a mother, and a victim of rape. (Philadelphia Tribune). Maya Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend, was a single mother at the age of seventeen, and was bullied because of her skin color. (Suzette A., Henke). Maya Angelou has wrote many books and poems throughout her life. Maya Angelou often binds in her emotionally disturbing childhood to her work, and even though Maya Angelou had a traumatizing childhood, her books and poetry…