1. Maya Angelou A Phenomenal Woman
We researched Maya Angelou, a female African American poet who grew up in the 1930’s in Missouri. She later became an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. In doing this project, we discovered just how much Angelou’s poetry reflects much of her experiences and pain as a young woman growing up in a racist community.
Steph Gorman, Kara Larkin, and Anne Laurita

2. Maya Angelou: Style irregular stanza structure
choppy and run-on sentences
alternates between stating, questioning and describing
last lines of verses often give closure while at the same time “leaving the reader hanging”
line-to-line repetition and/or parallel structure
uses mostly second person tense but sometimes switches the tense in the middle of the poem
uses onomatopoeia
^read this!

3. Maya Angelou: Commonalities
Female Anatomy, themes involving sexuality
Reminiscing about past loves and times
Difficulties of dealing with men
Mentions “workin’ in the factory”
Racism and African American Empowerment
Ex: My Guilt
^someone should read “My Guilt”
(add words to make complete sentences)

4. Influence of Gender, Life Experience, and Culture- Biographical
Molested at age 7
Went silent for years after her uncle killed her mother’s boyfriend
Exposed to progressive ideals that caused her later political activism
Joined the Harlem Writers Guild
Worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.
Became Northern Coordinator for the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
^Read this, add words

5. Influence of Gender, Life Experience, and Culture- Primary Sources
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
-Maya Angelou, 1969
(the first part of her autobiography)
We found a lot of background information from this primary source written by Maya Angelou herself.
(then read)

6. Influence of Gender, Life Experience, and Culture- Examples
My crime is "heroes, dead and gone,“
dead Vesey, Turner, Gabriel,
dead Malcolm, Marcus, Martin King.
-My Guilt
The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight, brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white.
-Human Family
His tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.
-I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

7. Critics’ Viewpoints “strong note of self-affirmation”
-Publishers Weekly
“at times to chatty and anecdotal”
-Janet Boyarin Blundell
“model of conduct for people”
-Adam David Miller
“portrays the strong Black American woman”
-Hilary Bailey
Read with addition words (on my lined paper)

8. More Critics’ Viewpoints
“relies often on rhythm for success”
-Calendaria Silva
“venomous hostility to one and all of the white race”
-Daisy Aldan
“musical, rhythmical, enchanting”
-Mary Silva Cosgrave
“sexual nuances”
-R. B. Stepto
…same

9. We agree with the critics:
Self-confidence and affirmation is an important part of many of her poems
She sometimes goes off on a whim and quite wordy and anecdotal
Focuses on strong women overcoming their emotional and physical struggles, especially African Americans, and serves as a role model for them
Most of her poems and musical and lyrical, rather than following a strict rhyme scheme
Read…maybe find a poem for this page

10. We disagree with the critics:
The best poems of hers that we read did not seem to rely on rhythm…most did not have a steady rhythm or continuous rhyming
Although Maya did exhibit some bitterness toward whites, it did not seem “venomous”
Read

11. “I say It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips The stride of my steps The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally Phenomenal woman That's me.”
Find a poem to read for this page!!!