Maya Angelou Work

Introduction

Dr. Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou's unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race and Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics. Maya Angelou's writings have always been geared toward social events and trends in society. The Civil Rights movement, feminist movement, and the ecomoic/socail revolution inspired some of Maya Angelou's famous writings and earned her the right to be considered one of the voices of her generation.

Analysis

Maya Angelou has dedicated her life to end prejudices faced by many black females in the 20th century. As an author, poet, and entertainer, she is known best for her strong portrayal of African-American women (Angelou, pp 45-115).

Maya's childhood was difficult and very much different than the ones today. Her mother's boyfriend raped her. The rapist told her that if she told anyone what happened, he would hurt her brother Bailey. The rape caused Maya to become mute for five years of her life. She was sent back to Stamps Arkansas because no one could handle her in the state that she was in. The muteness caused her to take an interest in literature. A woman named Mrs. Flowers constantly worked with her during the rough time and eventually it paid off because Maya began to speak again (Hughes, pp 101-222).

In her book, Just Give Me A Cool Drink Of Water Fore I Dixie she states, But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams, his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. This stanza tells the reader about the life of the caged bird. She discovered early on what it was like to be a black girl in a world where boundaries were set for her by whites (Essex & Mainemelis, pp 12-191). In the 60s, she was a friend to both Martin Luther King Jr. This illustration of the life of the free bird reminds us of how all birds were intended to live, and creates a sharp contrast to the stanza to come. Growing up in Stamps, Maya learned what it was like to be a black girl in a world where boundaries were set for her by whites (Daniels, pp 11-215).

Understanding Maya Angelou's religious upbringing and faith in God is the key to understanding her as a black female poet and writer in America. The caged bird is symbolic of how Maya feels about life. She is the caged bird. The cage is the racism and prejudice in America against Africa-Americans and females. Maya's poetry is her song. God meant for birds and ...