Maya Angelou: Interpretation of Poetry

Maya Angelou Dr. Maya Angelou, born April 24, 1928, was a pheno manpoweral poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist know as adept of the greatest voices of renaissance. She go through harsh racial discrimination throughout her lifetime, and yet in the midst of her trials she never loses self-respect or confidence. through her tendinous delivery of spoken communication she dually embodies her captivating inclination and demeanor. Altogether, her works are representations of who she is and what she believes in.Sandra Cookson is the author of an name featured in World literary works Today, published by the University of Oklahoma, who does a grand job of illuminating Angelous impactful messages that lie indoors her metrical composition Still I sneak. In addition, Kelly Holland Cecil, a student who attend University of North Carolina in 1998, conducted a careful analysis on many of Angelous Poems. Cec il provides a door of apprehensiveness as she analytically goes into depth on explaining Dr. Angelous poem, Phenomenal char.Through careful study and analysis of Angelous meter followed by research obtained from research an understanding of who she was and the message she was trying to get crossways may be developed. To begin with, Angelou believes that world phenomenal does non come from the witness that is accepted from others barely from champions genuine uniqueness. The type reference in Phenomenal Woman, portrays a strong, high-minded char cleaning woman of modesty and humility which is doubtlessly Angelou. She displays this in the counterbalance line of the poem, when she says fairly 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 cute or construct to suit a fashion models size. by and by initially narration these first 2 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 and then exuberantly modest.Its in the reach of my fortification The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. Im a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, Thats me. After reading the lines above, there 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, rather than the tralatitious looks that are generally accepted from men of female models, she illuminates the less notice able-bodied features of her personify that make her unique in a special 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 yet some other display of Angelous character proving that she is proud of the material features she has that make her inimitable. Furthermore, the Angelou uses repeat which according to Cecil helps hold the poem a flow and makes it wait more familiar and lyrical. The person repeats the sideline lines at the end of each stanza Im a woman Phenomenally Phenomenal womanThats me. out-of-pocket to Angelous history of melodiousity she incorporates this style of repetition just as a tap or chorus to a song. She does in such a manner that just about forces the auditor to say it with her and eventually bed that she is not a pretty woman, but a phenomenal woman/ phenomenally. According to Cecil, This may permit 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 style of the Bible mingle in her poems. Through the creativity of similes and image ry in Angelous poem Still I vacate she is able to paint a picture of herself that reveals her as a strong woman of illusion by displaying her level of determination and exertion to overcome racial discrimination. In the first stanza of this particular 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 in spite of her circumstance still like the stud of the ground she shall overdress.Thus, proving controls made by Cookson when she writes The speech of the bible mingle in her poems. Biblically speaking, idol made mankind through the circularize of the ground, so in essence Angelou is utilise imagery to show that just as God made man rise from dust, no matter what force is against her she jackpot still rise up and be triumphant. By taking 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 erosive women despite every kind of vexation 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 erect discrimination You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, precisely still, like air, Ill rise.Angelous takes this as an opportunity to beam her feelings towards the discrimination She has endured. In the above stanza, she illuminates that she has been despised on, looked down upon, and spoken to raspingly because of her color. But, she doesnt allow 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, tolerant, modest, and perseverant in the face of adversity. In her poem Still I Rise she goes on to say I am the dream and the hope of the slave.This is Angelou audacious 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. flora 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 formalized Website . 2012 . .