Maya Angelou

7 Pages 1772 Words

As a young woman Maya Angelou’s caged life affects many people through her reflected poetry. Her writing is a way of venting and is therapy for her now relieved soul. Her inspirations and achievements are the least two among other principles of African American memoirs. She is widely known for her teachings and poetry. Her poetry is based upon two main things mostly with social issues of African Americans, and her reflects on her own personal feelings of
life. No matter what race her work is spread throughout this continent and touches the lives of many people. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 as Marguerite Johnson. She grow up with her brother in St. Louis, Missouri with her brother. Marguerite later changes her name to Maya Angelou. She was then sent to Arkansas when her parents divorced to live with her aunt and uncle. She was raped and later had a child at a very young age. Her broad feet, nappy black hair and space between her teeth. She soon grew to hate who she was. However she developed a inner strength and dignity(Neubaur2/145).
There are many incidents in Maya Angelou’s life that influenced the theme of her work; Angelou’s lack of self-esteem as youth was not simply the result of the usual childhood awkwardness. Racism was a daily presence for Angelou and her family. One major theme of hers being degrading. The poems “No, No, No, No”and “The Word Negro” both have a degrading fault in it, how the speaker went through the fear, heartbroken and harsh life of an African American. A positive assertion of what and who black people have decided they will be is Maya Angelou. Her second major theme in her poetry is loneliness. The poems “Alone” and “Willie” both speak about the negative effects of loneliness.
In Maya Angelou’s poem “No, No, No, No” she writes about the hardships and abuse of African American women.
No
the two legg’d beasts
that walk like men
Play stin...