maya+angelou

=Maya Angelou by Jacquoline Marie Jones=

Maya Angelou was originally born Marguerite Johnson on April 4,1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was eight years old. She was tramatized by the whole experience. Maya soon developed a notion of inner strength from her grandmother which was who she lived with for a period of her life as a child. when she entered high school she was underdeveloped and began ot think she was a lesbian because of the way her body was. She asked one of her classmates to have sex with her and she became pregnant from the experience. She gave birth to a son a month after her graduation. Angelou now teaches at Wake Forrest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary black literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Angelou's writing try to accomplish equality for everyone. Angelou writes about lifes who are treated unequal. Angelou also tells about events in her past where she was treated unequal like in __Why the Caged Bird Sings__. Angelou tries to put American history into her writing to so how real and horrible people were treated in the certain time period being reflect.She also had the ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class. Maya Angelou explores many different themes throughout her writings. Almost in all of her poetry she focuses on the oppression of African Americans but she still celebrates the accomplishments of African Americans by mentioning them in her writing like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. She also uses vocabulary and slang of African American English in her writings. Angelou affirms the diversity and brotherhood of humanity and a dawn of equality in American history. A important theme for Angelou is Africa, she lived in Africa and she writes about it in __All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes.__ One Of the other themes explored is she reflects on the love and her own erotic feelings. She uses her writing as a tool of self discovery and to grow as a person. When Angelou writes she tries to change how people view each other. Angelou writes for the black voice and any ear which can hear it.(Maya Angelou,Reading on Maya Angelou,1997) Angelou writes because she is a black woman, listening attentively to her people talking. Maya on writes on the truths that she knows and on things that she has experienced. Whatever book you are reading of Angelou reflects on a certain time period. __In The Heart of a Woman__ covers the Civil Rights era. Angelou talks about marches, Martin Luther King Jr. and the whole uprising of the African Americans. This represents the whole Civil Rights era. When it comes to contributions Angelou has given the list is to long to name them all. Maya Angelou has given hope to many women who have gone through times in their lives. The poem "Phenomenal woman" inspires many women by letting them know they are "Phenomenal" no matter what. Angelou has also gave hope to African-Americans by giving them determination to stand up for themselves and not to be afraid. Maya Angelou is a inspiration and a hero. She has over come many obstacles and has reached above and beyond what people persieved of her. She is a amazing writer who has proved if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything. Angelou's works will be famous for generations to come because of the messages her works reveal. Her work bluntly reveals one messages but you often have to read deeper into the work to understand the hidden messages that she is trying to reveal. This is also why she is so read and loved by many people. Angelou opened the door for women writers and paved the way for future African American writers


 * Annotated Bibliography**

Readings on Maya Angelou, __Literary Companion Series__,Bruno Leone, Greenhaven Press, San Diego,CA.1997

Readings on Maya Angelou is a good reference book On Angelou's life. This has a biography on her life from childhood to adulthood. Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. When Angelou was eight years old she was raped and malested by her mother's boyfriend. She soon developed a notion of inner strengh from her Grandmother. In her senoir year of high school she became pregnant. This is the perfect book reference for anyone who want to know about Maya Angelou's life.

Bloom's Major Poets:Maya Angelou, Harold Bloom,2001

Bloom's Major Poets:Maya Angelou by Harold Bloom is a book all on critic reviews and analysis on Angelou's work. The thematic analysis and critic review of "Phenomenal Woman" describe this as one of Angelou's best works. This poem captures the essence of womanhood, and at the same time describes the many talents of herself. This book explains why the certain poems are so loved and why these poems are so famous. For anyone who wants reviews and anaylsis on Angelou's works, this is the perfect reference.

The poetry of Maya Angelou, essay by Sienkewicz, Thomas J.,Magill's Choice:American Ethnic Writers 2000, Student Reference Center, May 2008

In the Database The Poetry of Maya Angelou: The Works, Sienkewicz shows what Angelou uses as themes for her writing. He also explains why these themes are important. One important theme for Angelou is Africa. Angelou lived in Africa for four years and thought the pyramids are a source of pride. Also Angelou's work reflects love and her own erotic feelings. This database is a great reference for anyone who wants to find the deeper themes and meanings of Angelou's work.

Overview of Maya Angelou,DISCovery Authors.Online ed.Detroit:Gale,2003. Student Resource Center-Gold.Gale.Fuquay Varina High School,May 2008 The essay "Overview of Maya Angelou" gives a whole overview of Angelou's work and her career. This essay draws connections from her real life experience to what she writes about in her works. In __I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings__ is a chronicle of her life up to the age of sixteen. __The Heart of a Woman__ is a book that "covers one of the most exciting periods in recent African-American and Afro-American history," according to Adam David Miller in Black Scholar. This essay is a excellent reference of how and why Angelou draws experience from her life and turns them into excellent works of are in her writting.