MAYA ANGELOU

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

Introduction

Maya Angelou (St. Louis, 4 April 1928) is an American poet, actress and dancer. Considered a key figure in the American movement for Civil Rights, Maya Angelou, whose real name is Marguerite Johnson has become famous as a writer with autobiographical novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings of 1969 and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes of 1986. In acknowledgement to her collection of poems just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die of 1971 she received a nomination for the prize Pulitzer. From this collection the Angelou on The Pulse of starred Morning at the inauguration of U.S. President Bill Clinton (Shapiro, 2004). It was awarded during the years of numerous academic awards and doctorates from Yale University, of Kansas, of Ghana and the Rockefeller Foundation in Italy, having never received a college education.

Maya's love for music and theater led her to receive a Tony Award and a Grammy in 1993 for Best Spoken Album for On Pulse of Morning.

Discussion

In the first volume of her autobiography, Maya Angelou shares her experience of growing up as a poor black female in the segregated rural South. Throughout her career she has continued to draw on her own experiences as the subject matter for her work. She has published four more volumes of her personal narrative showing how she was able to overcome obstacles posed by her race and gender to achieve success in many areas. Angelou wrotes about a difficult period in her life, a time when she was forced to work at menial jobs to support herself and her son, ahe also described her life as a dancer and actress, including her travels with the cast of Porgy and Bess (Pettit, 2008).

Angelou's early exposure to spirituals and gospel music influenced her poetry. This poetry reveals a ...