Introduction | Maya Angelou: Poems Wikipedia | GradeSaver (2024)

FAQs

What is an introduction about Maya Angelou? ›

Maya Angelou (born April 4, 1928, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.—died May 28, 2014, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was an American poet, memoirist, and actress whose several volumes of autobiography explore the themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression.

Maya Angelou's poems are often about love, loss, loneliness, and experiences with racism. She writes about all these things both from a personal perspective and from the perspective of African American women as a whole.

In Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird,' the poet uses two bird metaphors. The free bird symbolizes white Americans or all free people who enjoy equal rights. The caged bird is a metaphor for/symbolizes oppressed Black Americans who are kept captive through racist policies.

Her struggles as a belittled Black girl is harmonious with so many others- her courage to defeat her demons marks a moment of change in history- the American Civil War. Angelou's story is an honest cry for freedom- which she achieves and still fights for to this day.

As Angelou wrote her autobiographies and poems, she continued her career in film and television. She was the first Black woman to have a screenplay (Georgia, Georgia) produced in 1972. She was honored with a nomination for an Emmy award for her performance in Roots in 1977.

The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou, published by Random House in 1994 contains 167 poems, including the poem she wrote and read at the inauguration of President Clinton, "On the Pulse of Morning." Following that compilation, Maya Angelou wrote and published another 7 poems including "Mother: A Cradle to Hold ...

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou.

Background of Maya Angelou

She spent most of her childhood and youth mute, but found her voice in poetry. The main themes that can be found in her writing include African American experiences, love, loss, music, discrimination, family, identity, racism, struggle, and slavery.

Maya Angelou published her first volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie, in 1971. She published this volume after she wrote and published I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which was in 1969.

She was hailed as an internationally regarded figure for her role as a civil rights leader who fought for social and racial justice. Angelou resided in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for over thirty years.

Why did Maya Angelou stop talking? ›

Returning to her mother's care briefly at the age of seven, Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend. He was later jailed and then killed when released from jail. Believing that her confession of the trauma had a hand in the man's death, Angelou became mute for six years.

I like how Angelou put it: “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.”

Death. Angelou died on the morning of May 28, 2014, at age 86. Although Angelou had been in poor health and had canceled recent scheduled appearances, she was working on another book, an autobiography about her experiences with national and world leaders.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma.

Angelou sees herself not only as a member of the black community but also as an individual isolated from that community. She may appear to be black but she does not speak in the black vernacular of Stamps and she sees past the limited existence offered to her by the black community.