Maya Angelou once said, “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” This strong statement came from a woman who overcame many trials and tribulations. Maya Angelou is one of the greatest figures in American literature. She is known for writing poetry which she used to spread the word of equality for many African American women and for others who were oppressed. Maya Angelou went through many hardships, but through hard work and her love for literature, she became one of America’s well-known poets. Maya Angelou was originally born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. She travelled to many different states and lived with her grandmother for most of her childhood. When she was eight years old, she was
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She impacted the lives of many and was able to do so through her poetry. One of her well-known poems was Caged Bird. It is through this poem that Maya expressed how African Americans needed to earn respect by standing up for their rights and by finding their voices. Caged Bird is a metaphor. Maya didn’t mention a particular race, but she made it known that whites were given more freedom than blacks. She starts the poem off by illustrating how the free bird, or “white race,” is untroubled. She hints how the white race ruled society and how they did so unjustly. She continues to say “the free bird dares to claim the sky.” This stanza illustrates how the white population discriminated and showed prejudice towards blacks. In her second stanza, Maya uses the caged bird as a term for African Americans. “But a caged bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage.” Maya used this as a metaphor for showing how angry and frustrated blacks were and what they were forced to endure. African Americans were mistreated because they were seen as different and were thought of as inferior. Maya goes on to write, “The free bird leaps on the back of the wind...” She illustrated how whites found themselves to be superior in a segregated America. Many African Americans knew they needed to take a stand and gain freedom. “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.” Maya
She impacted the lives of many and was able to do so through her poetry. One of her well-known poems was Caged Bird. It is through this poem that Maya expressed how African Americans needed to earn respect by standing up for their rights and by finding their voices. Caged Bird is a metaphor. Maya didn’t mention a particular race, but she made it known that whites were given more freedom than blacks. She starts the poem off by illustrating how the free bird, or “white race,” is untroubled. She hints how the white race ruled society and how they did so unjustly. She continues to say “the free bird dares to claim the sky.” This stanza illustrates how the white population discriminated and showed prejudice towards blacks. In her second stanza, Maya uses the caged bird as a term for African Americans. “But a caged bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage.” Maya used this as a metaphor for showing how angry and frustrated blacks were and what they were forced to endure. African Americans were mistreated because they were seen as different and were thought of as inferior. Maya goes on to write, “The free bird leaps on the back of the wind...” She illustrated how whites found themselves to be superior in a segregated America. Many African Americans knew they needed to take a stand and gain freedom. “His wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.” Maya