Maya Angelou: Interpretation of Poetry

Maya Angelou Dr. Maya Angelou, natural April 24, 1928, was a phenomenal poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist known as wholeness of the greatest voices of renaissance. She experienced harsh racial discrimination throughout her lifetime, and until now in the midst of her trials she never loses self-respect or confidence. Through her all-powerful delivery of words she dually embodies her captivating personality and demeanor. Altogether, her works are representations of who she is and what she believes in.Sandra Cookson is the origin of an article featured in foundation Literature Today, published by the University of Oklahoma, who does a wonderful job of illuminating Angelous impactful messages that lie within her poesy quiesce I Rise. In addition, Kelly Holland Cecil, a student who accompanied University of North Carolina in 1998, conducted a thorough analysis on galore(postnominal) of Angelous Poem s. Cecil provides a door of understanding as she analytically goes into depth on explaining Dr. Angelous poesy, phenomenal Woman.Through careful study and analysis of Angelous poetry followed by research obtained from research an understanding of who she was and the message she was trying to get cross modes may be developed. To begin with, Angelou believes that being phenomenal does not lift from the beauty that is accepted from others nevertheless(prenominal) from ones genuine uniqueness. The persona in Phenomenal Woman, portrays a strong, proud adult female of modesty and humility which is undoubtedly Angelou. She displays this in the first line of the poem, when she says Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. The auditor by choice separates herself from the in-crowd, which in this case is pretty women. Thus, suggesting that she does not even consider herself as attractive. Then, in line 2 she reassures the auditor of her disposition when she writes Im not knavish o r built to suit a fashion models size. After initially reading these first two lines, it is possible for them to be mistaken for insecurities, but as one reads further, it is clear that Angelou is not ashamed of her individuality but indeed exuberantly modest.Its in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The step of my step, The curl of my lips. Im a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, Thats me. After reading the lines above, at that place is no doubt that the she does not view herself as a woman with model beauty, but, in her perspective, a phenomenal woman. Looking at lines 1-4 above, quite a than the traditional looks that are generally accepted from men of female models, she illuminates the less noticeable features of her body that make her unique in a finical way.Although an exact number was unmentioned, she specifically refers to her height in line 3 above. Angelou was an imposing woman standing at about six feet tall(Cecil 1998). This is even so another display of Angelous part proving that she is proud of the physical features she has that make her inimitable. Further more than, the Angelou uses repeating which according to Cecil helps give the poem a flow and makes it seem more familiar and lyrical. The person repeats the following lines at the end of each stanza Im a woman Phenomenally Phenomenal womanThats me. Due to Angelous history of musicality she incorporates this demeanor of repetition just as a hook or let loose to a song. She does in such a manner that almost delineates the auditor to say it with her and eventually acknowledge that she is not a pretty woman, but a phenomenal woman/ phenomenally. According to Cecil, This may have been influenced by her career as a dancer and as a Broadway actress. Furthermore, Cookson quotes that, The musical currents of blues and jazz, the rhythm of rap songs, and the language of the countersign modify in her poems. Through the creativity of similes and imagery in Angelous poem Still I Ri se she is able to paint a house painting of herself that reveals her as a strong woman of color by displaying her aim of determination and perseverance to overcome racial discrimination. In the first stanza of this point poem, she has an attitude that exemplifies her strong-willed character as she refers to the many things that she has encountered throughout her lifetime. In line 4 of the poem she declares that despite her circumstance still bid the dust of the ground she shall rise.Thus, proving statements made by Cookson when she writes The language of the bible mingle in her poems. Biblically speaking, God made man sympathetic through the dust of the ground, so in essence Angelou is using imagery to show that just as God made man rise from dust, no matter what force is against her she can still rise up and be triumphant. By fetching the lyrics of Angelous poem into consideration, one may notice that she expresses herself in a way that corresponds to the harsh discrimination she endured.In the words of Cookson, Still I rise is a poem about the survival of black women despite every kind of humiliation America has subjected them since the days of slavery(800). With this statement in mind, there should be no question of the auditor in her poem, as it seems to be the predominating white race in America. In the following lines Angelou reveals her strength to set up discrimination You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may eliminate me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, Ill rise.Angelous takes this as an opportunity to convey her feelings towards the discrimination She has endured. In the above stanza, she illuminates that she has been hated on, looked down upon, and spoken to harshly because of her color. But, she doesnt render herself to be broken by the circumstances she faces. In any event, she rises. By venting on Angelous poetry analytically, one can see that her character symbolizes a woman who is strong, tole rant, modest, and perseverant in the face of adversity. In her poem Still I Rise she goes on to say I am the ideate and the hope of the slave.This is Angelou bold stating that where others have failed, she has prospered because of her perseverance and commitment to herself to be who she isA Phenomenal Woman, Phenomenally. Works Cited Cecil, Kelly Holland. Maya Angelou -1928. 1998. 20 4 2012 . Cookson, Sandra. World Literature Today. Vol. Vol. 69. Autumn World Literature Today, 1995. Penguin Creative. Dr. Maya Angelou, The Official Website . 2012 . .