Maya Angelous Influences Essay - 1236 Words

Maya Angelou’s Influence Maya Angelou is terrific performer, singer, filmmaker, and civil-rights activist. She is a phenomenal woman, one thing that she does best is writing. She is still living today, I believe her legend will never die. If one would talk to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her life is blissful now, it was not always perfect. Maya beard enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people do not experience in a lifetime. Her experiences and the lessons learned encouraged her to help others become strong. Maya Angelou is one of the best examples of someone overcoming rape, being mute for several years, and having a child at a young age to achieve success of becoming an accomplished†¦show more content†¦Maya Angelou was inspired to read by several amazing authors and an educated Black woman. â€Å"She read books by Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Paul Lawrence Dunbar†. .†(Poetry Foundation, 2008). Maya said, â€Å"Even though she and Bailey were discouraged from reading the works of white writers at home, Angelou read and fell in love with the works of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Edgar Allan Poe.†(Poetry Foundation, 2008). Mrs. Flower’s was someone who also once played a wonderful role in her life. She was the person whom was able to get Maya to speak again when she was young. Mrs. Flowers was a charming gentlewoman who was an aristocrat in the small town of Black Stamps. She would give Maya books to take home, and she would tell her to read the books aloud. â€Å"She explained the importance of education, importance of the spoken word, and instilled in her a love of poetry. †(Poetry Foundation, 2008). Maya became so interested in writing that she moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guide in the late 50’s and began her writing career. Maya Angelou is a leading literary voice of the African-American community. She writes of the triumph of the human spiri t over hardship and adversity. â€Å"Her style captures the ca-dences and aspirations of African American women whose strength she celebrates.† (Library of Chattanooga State, n. d.) Maya has paved the way for children who has had a damagedShow MoreRelatedMaya Angelous Great Influence and Success Essay679 Words   |  3 PagesAngelou read her poem of on the pulse of the morning which was broadcasted around the world. Dr. Angelou’s honorary skills have leaded her to earn more than 50 honorary degrees. After the devastating occurrence of Martin Luther King Jr’s death Dr. Angelou did not celebrate her birthday afterwards but sent flowers to King’s widow named Coretta Scott King for more than 30 years until Coretta died in 2006. Maya Angelou is the first black woman to write and produce several prize-winning documentaries suchRead MoreEssay on The Interpretation of None the Other, Maya Angelou1508 Words   |  7 Pagesworld holds. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. As a strong African-American woman, she has experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, yet also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. Dr. Maya Angelou’s notorious aspectsRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings1482 Words   |  6 Pages Maya Angelou tells of her life experiences and struggles in her book â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† that gives us insight about Maya’s life as a young black girl growing up in a time of racism. The novel discusses various forms of oppression that she had to face as well cope with them. Robert A. Gross wrote an analysis for Newsweek about the book and claimed that Angelou’s book is not only an interesting stor y of her own experience, but also a portrayal of a Southern black communityRead MoreDisplacement, a Theme in Maya Angelou ´s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1603 Words   |  6 Pagespersonality. Maya Angelou creates a theme of displacement in her novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelous novel has been critiqued by many notable scholars for being a classic autobiography. The critics note the importance of the setting to show universal displacement and the use of characterization to display the influences in Angelous life. The critics also note that Angelous diction and tone allow her pain and suffering to be evident throughout her novel and into her life. Angelous use ofRead MoreMaya Angelou1001 Words   |  5 PagesMaya Angelou You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness. But still, like air, Ill rise. Have you ever been so influenced by such a small amount of powerful words? This brilliant quote extracted from Maya Angelous own poem, Still I Rise, basically brings out the spirit and nature of each of her publications. Maya Angelous works of poetry are seen as inspiration for those who have been discriminated for their public appearances. AsRead MoreEssay on Maya Angelou1185 Words   |  5 PagesDistress in Maya Angelous Life Marguerite Ann Johnson, commonly known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a famous African-American poet, novelist, and playwright and also worked during the civil rights: Angelou is a very remarkable Renaissance woman who hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature (www.mayaangelou.com). She is also an activist in civil-rights. Angelou went through many controversies during her childhood and adulthood; herRead MoreMaya Angelou: A Model Woman Through Influential Literature Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagespositive influence on society itself. Maya Angelou is a great example of the model woman. She has beaten the odds and has become one of the most well known African American women of today. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. Her most influential work comes from her extraordinary books and poems. Her literature has i nfluenced the young and old with their contents. Maya Angelous literaryRead MoreBlack Empowerment By Maya Angelou And Claude Mckay921 Words   |  4 Pagessuch as influences from musical artists as well as popular actors and actresses. They become major influences based on their celebrity status. Numerous people in our society disregard the influence that literature impacts our culture, especially in earlier time periods. A reason for this is possibly because of the emphasis on education during that time because African Americans wanted to overcome the stereotypes of not being as educated as whites. Another reason literature was an influence on theRead MoreEssay about Girl/Woman Work Socio-Historical Critique1439 Words   |  6 PagesClaudette Woodhouse Professor Lea Ann Douglas English 112 29 October 2011 Any and everything can influence a work of literature. Life experiences, life choices, political events, time periods, or even time eras. In lieu of this concept it can be assumed that an interesting life may produce interesting poetry or stories. Two phenomenal women, Maya Angelou and Jamaica Kincaid portray two different points of view in their works of literature. A lot of things can contribute to their differencesRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings1159 Words   |  5 PagesI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou is an autobiographical coming of age story set in the midst of the racially charged era of the Jim Crow Laws. Angelou’s novel explores the enormously influential first seventeen years of her life, as she struggles to overcome the seemingly insurmountable personal and societal adversities such as rape, race, instability, and insecurity. Angelou’s powerful depictions of the events of her early life immediately immerses her readers in the fact t hat life