Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou, her life as a poet.
Maya Angelou said," The honorary duty of a human being is to love, and nothing human can be alien to me". It is profoundly honest and heartfelt statements such as these that are the trademark of one of the greatest black poets in history, Maya Angelou. It is based on her work and the profound impact that her poetry and her remarkable life testimony has had on all of us, that I will speak today.
Maya Angelou was born, April 4, 1928 as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis and was raised in the segregated rural Arkansas. Maya who came from very humble beginnings has emerged to be far greater than her circumstances promised.
Angelou is an award winning poet, playwright, professor, producer, performer and singer.
This remarkable woman has ridden many waves and leaped over countless hurdles to emerge as the powerful orator, poet and role model that she is today.
Maya Angelou was the first African American woman to hit the bestsellers list with her autobiographical work " I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" and has since produced nine other best selling works as well.
Angelou was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and several National Book Award nominations.
There are many facets to the life of Maya Angelou and all are indeed noteworthy, however it is her poetry that stands out as a testimony of her great achievement.
The impact of Angelou's work as a poet stems from the deep emotional truth and special meaning that each poem holds for her. Maya writes powerfully about the very experiences of her complex life, from early childhood to adulthood, both as an African American and a woman.
To fully understand the meaning of most of Maya's poetry is to have an understanding of the life story of this great poet, each poem reflects on a specific period in Maya's life and shows her triumph over each one.
At the age of two Maya's parents are divorced, putting in...
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