
#LIST MAYA ANGELOU POEMS HOW TO#
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#LIST MAYA ANGELOU POEMS UPDATE#
This man lives alone in an old house, colored with the phantasms of the past, nestled in the hills of "the ghosted land." This man lives contentedly, watching the flora around his house explode with growth and participating in "Activity, music, / a generosity of graces." Update this section! The Man ("California Prodigal")Īngelou's poem "California Prodigal" has another character, one who cannot be an image of herself because he's a man.

Each one of us has lived through some devastation, some loneliness, some weather superstorm or spiritual superstorm, when we look at each other we must say, I understand. Space, Mind Your Own Business, Hopes And Fears. Some critics have also interpreted the caged bird to be Angelou herself, writing about the horrors of being trapped in sexual abuse. Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. The caged bird, on the other hand, represents the person who is constrained by society: the African-American, or the woman, or the ostracized person. The free bird is an example of the free, un-oppressed person in society who has full opportunities to explore and thrive. The Caged Bird and the Free Bird ("Caged Bird")Īngelou's poem "The Caged Bird" is unusual among her poems in that it has actually (albeit symbolic) characters rather than the vague pronouns "you" and "I." There are two characters in the poem: the free bird and the caged bird. Her poems deal with gender discrimination, racial injustice, and despair, but her powerful voice shines through the darkness, offering a way to combat these oppressions. The narrator, Angelou, is a strong, fiercely spirited woman with a sense of duty and a will to fight the injustice she perceives to be holding her down.

This characteristic of her work ties her to the voice of her narrator: when she writes "I," she generally means herself. Her poetry has been criticized as being "too public," meaning it only has the desired effect when read by Angelou out loud.

Many of Maya Angelou's poems are from her own perspective. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Maya Angelou Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water Fore I Diiie (1971) Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well (1975) And Still I Rise (1978) Now Sheba.
