Maya Angelou: Tragedy To Triumph

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Maya Angelou: Tragedy To Triumph

Maya Angelou is a very triumphant woman. She has written many books and poems that have given her great success. If one would talk to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her life is blissful now, but it wasn’t always perfect. Maya Angelou’s sorrowful life experiences inspired her to write autobiographical works of poetry. Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928 as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis. She was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. She came from a broken home. Angelou was raped at eight, and was an unwed mother at 16 years old (Williams 1). In spite of her tragic childhood, she still managed to become one of the greatest black poets of the twentieth century (Williams 1). Angelou is a poet, an author, a historian, an actress, a playwright, a civil-rights activist, a producer, and a director. Ms. Angelou began her career in drama and dance, and she married a South African freedom fighter and lived in Cairo. Later she also taught in Ghana. In the 1960's she said that being black, female, non-Muslim, non-Arab, six foot tall, and American made for some interesting experiences during her stay in Africa (Williams 1). Ms. Angelou accomplished many things in her life. She was the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She was also appointed to the Bicentennial Commission by President Gerald Ford, the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year by Jimmy Carter, and in 1993 she wrote and delivered the presidential inauguration for President Bill Clinton. Maya Angelou is a decorated author. She has been nominated for two Emmy awards and has won a Pulitzer Prize. She is also a highly cultured person. She can speak English, French, Spanish, Italian, and West African Fanti. And many of her poems can inspire people today. Knowing something about Angelou’s life can help one to understand her poetry. In one of Angelou’s poems, “Unmeasured Tempo”, she talks about a person’s life. How mind and body do not reach their apex at the same time. By the time a person gets old enough to have a spiritual realization of who they are their body is already declining (Angelou 11). This poem is written in blank verse. It does not have any rhyme or rhythm. Yet it does use figurative language. For example, the simile, “Dreams are petted like cherished lap dogs”. This poem is complex and makes the reader look for the deeper meani...

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