MAYA ANGELOU

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Words/names you SHOULD know already Discrimination Segregation Civil Rights movement (USA 1960s) Martin Luther King Jr

Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil- rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdom.

Renaissance Period of time ( ish) that marked great advancement in the arts – writing/painting/theatre – and culture in Europe A “renaissance” person = someone with broad intellectual and artistic interests and accomplishments.

Important dates for Angelou and USA 1928: Angelou born in St. Louis, Missouri (USA) 1931: comes to live in the racially segregated town Stamps, Arkansas 1960s: Angelou works with civil rights leaders MLK and Malcolm X 1964: Civil Rights Act outlaws racial and gender discrimination 1970: Angelou’s autobiography – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her current best-seller A Song Flung Up to Heaven. In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration.

Some notes on the poetry of Maya Angelou… Style and Techniques she uses Persona (the voice the poet adopts) Imagery Repetition Line Length Personal Pronouns Anaphora (repetition of words at beginning of sentences – “I believe…I believe…”) Musicality

Maya Angelou’s Poetry Issues that emerge: Prejudice Segregation Religion Gender Imprisonment Themes: Hope and strength The triumph of the human spirit

Maya Angelou, on the state of today’s world… Poet and author Dr. Maya Angelou has been saying, "Now is the time for thinking people to think." Here, she shares her insights: Justice Begins With Each of Us Like every American and like most people in the world, I'm speechless. And that doesn't mean I don't have something to say. We have to seek justice. We must do so. We have to, at the same time, be careful not to lust after revenge. If we do, many things happen. One, we are no better than the adversaries, we may be even worse. We should always be at war with injustice. Always. In our families, in our selves, in our neighborhoods, in our cities, in our states—we should always be on the other side from injustice. I believe however, that it all starts with me. And I believe that the change which must take place in the Middle East and in Ireland and as we have seen in South Africa, all those changes begin with me. I think that we have to each of us learn everything we possibly can. We must think. Love Is What Really Matters What really matters now is love. Now I don't mean mush, I don't mean sentimentality. I mean that condition in the human spirit so profound that it allows us to rise. Strength, love, courage, love, kindness, love. That is really what matters. There has always been evil, and there will always be evil, but there has always been good, and there is good now.

Books you can read…. “I know Why The Caged Bird Sings” “Gather Together in My Name” “Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas” “The Heart of a Woman” “All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes” “A Song Flung Up to Heaven”

Quiz 1.What segregated state did she grow up in? 2.Angelou was devastated by the assasinations of which 2 civil rights leaders? 3.What do we mean when we say Angelou is a “global renaissance woman”? 4.What is the name of the first volume of her memoirs? 5.In what ways did Angelou encounter prejudice?