Actress. Artist. Civil rights activist. Feminist. Poet. Maya Angelou was one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. She discussed topics that most people never would have, with open arms. She truly was a woman of many talents and her work will last throughout the ages. Maya Angelou. A true renaissance woman who will be remembered… if we make her works part of the American school curriculum. Maya Angelou was born in a time when blacks and white were not allowed to comingle and if they did so it could mean dire consequences. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928 originally given the name of Marguerite Annie Johnson. After parents divorce she lived with her paternal grandmother, her cousin and her crippled uncle. At the age …show more content…
Her life was not an easy one but she overcame adversity and created some of the most beautiful pieces of literature, as well as poetry, of the 20th century. Her works prove that you may come from a horrible background but you are able to become someone worth something in the eyes of society. Maya Angelou wanted equality for all and therefor fought alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Right Movement of the 60’s. Mr. King dies on her birthday and she was devastated… in an interview she stated that his sense of fairplay as well as his eye for what justice should have been is something he instilled in her.
The style in what she wrote was soft and powerful. When she spoke you couldn’t help but listen. Main works done by her include several books of poetry, essays, autobiographies but she was also a talented playwright. One of her most well known poems, Phenomenal Woman, tells of how she may not be one definition of beauty but it is the air around her that is what makes her beautiful. It tells of how she is proud of who she is and she is not afraid to be a
If you can 't change it, change your attitude. Don 't complain” Maya recieved several awards Two from the NAACP. Timeline of Mays”s life: “April 4, 1928- Maya Angelou is born in St. Louis, Missouri. 1942- Angelou dropped out of school to become San Francisco’s first African-American female car conductor.
On April 4th of 1928 Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. She was given the name “Maya” by her brother, Bailey. Both Maya and Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas after her parents divorced. When Maya went to visit her mother at the age of eight she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend.
She published many great poems regarding the B.A.M and she won many awards for her work including Woman of the Year from Ladies Home Journal. She also appeared multiple times on television and attended speaking engagements. She then went on to become a professor at College Mount St. Joseph and Virginia Tech University. The analysis of the poem
She is a woman that made world history because of her outstanding courage and loyalty for everything. However, she was always involved with her husband, children, women rights, and always trying to help every situation she could. Even when her ideas did not follow through, she would try again with her outstanding amount of courage she had built up in
Firstly, there are many interesting facts about maya Angelou. She actually had many jobs including singer,dancer,actress, composer, etc. Maya Angelou had a hard early life. Her brother even gave her the name maya. Maya Angelou also got many awards in her life.
She was a part of a literary movement in Chicago. She is well known for her award winning poem “ For My People,”. She made a large impact on the literary movement she was involved in.
Born on April 4, 1928 and died on May 28, 2014(bio.com). Maya Angelou was known for her famous memoir in 1969, I know why the Caged Bird Sings(bio.com). I chose her because she inspires me to do more than what I am doing. While she was alive, she was an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, and poet. This essay will talk about her life and her accomplishments and what she went threw.
When thinking of a historical figure, many imagine a president, king, or general that lead a country to greatness, but never realized some could be the ones who influence the minds of society. Although not thought of as anything, writers and poets hold the key to shaping the society’s mindset without even knowing it. Being a civil rights activist, social activist, and role model for women makes Maya Angelou a historical figure who has made a huge impact in American society and in American history. Born poor and black, she was a childhood victim of rape, shamed into silence. She was a young single mother who had to work at strip clubs for a living.
She asks her readers to rise above their defeats, to not allow anyone to stop their dreams. In demonstrating how she succeeded she has been a role model for women of all cultures and races. The “Phenomenal Women” poem is a celebration
Maya Angelou was a strong African-American women who made an influential impact on the Civil Rights Movement, in bother her actions, and her literature. Her life experiences and courage helped others, and made her work influential. During Maya’s early life, she experienced many hardships that shaped her into the person many remember her as. Born on April 4, 1928, she only lived in St. Louis, MO for three years before her parents got divorced, and Maya, along with her mother and brother, moved in with her grandparents in Arkansas. At the age of eight, raped by her mother’s boyfriend, Maya learned the power that words possess.
She showed all African American women and men that they can achieve the impossible and have an intelligent mind like everyone else. Even African American poets from today like Alice Walker found her as an inspiration. In one of her poems about being brought to america, she perfectly summarizes what the struggle was being a slave that is equal to everyone
In American history, there have been poets that have arrived on the scenes, taken the world by storm, and disappeared abruptly. Two of these poets are Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes. These poets have shared their works of art with the world, and they have not gone unnoticed. As far as these two went in life, it is very surprising to find out that the two of them come from be humble beginnings. Marguerite Annie Johnson Angelou.
She was a multi-talented person as Toni Morrison, a friend and contemporary of Angelou, expressed: “She had 19 talents and used 10. And she was a real original.” (qtd, in Sherwell, 2014).
Helen Keller was an extremely courageous woman. She did some great things in this world while trying to overcome many challenges and turned out to be an amazing inspiration to many people. Her lifetime was filled with many exciting things from the beginning to the end. Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
The poems in this essay both talk about being a woman. “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou is about more of a confident woman while “Woman” by Nikki Giovanni is about a woman who wants a man to change for her. The poems though very different, are also similar because they both talk about confidence as a woman. By the end of both poems the narrators both know that they are women who are strong and do not need anyone else 's acceptance but their own. They know their own self worth and that is enough for them.