Maya Angelou, born, Marguerite Johnson, was sent along with her brother to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, when her parents were divorced. Growing up, she learned what it was to be a black girl in a world whose boundaries were set by whites: "As a child she always dreamed of waking to find her nappy black hair' metamorphosed to a long blonde bob because she felt life was better for a white girl than for a black girl- (Rigney 45). Despite the odds, her grandmother instilled pride in young Marguerite, with religion as an important element in their home.
After five years of being apart from their mother, Marguerite and her brother, Bailey, were sent back to Saint-Louis to be with their mother. This move would change Angelou's life dramatically. While living in Saint Louis, she was raped by her mothers' boyfriend. After which she confided in her brother what had happened, and soon the person was found dead. Young Marguerite believed her voice had killed him this caused her to become mute for nearly five years. Her dysfunctional childhood spent moving back and forth between her mother and grandmother caused her to struggle with maturity. She became determined to prove she was a woman and began to rush toward maturity. Because of her past, Maya Angelou went on to be an inspiration to men and women across the nation. She has the unique ability to challenge the divisions of race and class throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies.
Angelou is probably the most widely recognized figure of a poet in contemporary U.S. culture. Her work is found on television, in the movies, on the radio, in print, on the Internet, and at the 1993 presidential inauguration. Given this extraordinary career, she also serves as an exemplary figure to women undergoing many difficulties related to domestic violence and sexual abuse. She has been through what they are encountering, and she offers an important message to all of them: "Hold on, Hold on by all means.
Strengths of a Woman Through the Looking Glass with Maya Angelou's Poem "Phenomenal Woman". ... Maya Angelou uses these things in "Phenomenal Woman". ... Angelou wrote "Phenomenal Woman" to show the strengths of woman at their prime. ... Phenomenal woman, That's me." ... Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" is a great place to start. ...
Maya Angelou herself is a truly phenomenal woman. ... As this phenomenal woman enters a room "the fellows stand or fall down on their knees. ... This is what makes her beautiful as opposed to observing the phenomenal woman's exterior appearance. ... Well, in both "Phenomenal Woman" and "In an Artist's Studio" each poem describes the unique beauty of two different women. One woman a larger, "not cute" (Angelous 2) woman and a woman who's appearance is never described. ...
Her most well known poem "Phenomenal Woman- contains many of her strengths and weaknesses. ... "Its refrain -"I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, That's me,"" is made for Angelou's richly textured, dramatic voice- (Virginia Quarterly Review). ... Maya Angelou defines phenomenal as "outstanding, and excellent- (Angelou). The poem "Phenomenal Woman- means a lot to me. ...
The poem, "Phenomenal Woman", written by Maya Angelou has touched the lives of many women. ... The word phenomenal means outstanding, excellent and extraordinary, therefore making it the perfect word to describe a woman who is as magnificent as she is. ... The end of each stanza ends the same way, "I"m a woman/ Phenomenally/ Phenomenal woman/ That's me". By finishing each stanza and the poem this way makes the power of these words obvious, reminding you that she is a phenomenal woman. ... The word phenomenal is such a powerful word, I believe that it is I used properly in this poem t...
Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou was born in St. ... When Angelou writes she has the "phenomenal power of rhythm of words" (Shelton 20). Angelou is a very respected individual despite the fact that she was a black woman growing up when prejudice towards blacks was a major issue and women had little or no rights. ... When she writes "take the blinders from your vision" she was wanting others to look at her as a normal human being not just a black woman. ... The first black woman to be so recognized after the pairing of Robert Frost and John F. ...
Maya Angelou's poem Phenomenal Woman suggests that women have always had an essential role in society. In Phenomenal Woman, Mrs. ... At one point, Maya Angelou says, I"m a woman. ... She is a woman, a woman who is phenomenal because she is herself, and she does not try to be anyone else but herself. ... She proceeds to show the reader, however, that being herself is amazing, it makes her who she is, a phenomenal woman. ...
Statistics such as these are phenomenal. ... Woman seem to be in a "catch 22" situation. ... Also, hotlines are available for woman to call. ... Woman must also have a plan of their own. ... The statistics are phenomenal, especially when we recognize the 2 to 4 million woman who report domestic violence each year, with so many more cases not reported. ...
Statistics such as these are phenomenal. ... Woman seem to be in a "catch 22" situation. ... Also, hotlines are available for woman to call. ... Woman must also have a plan of their own. ... The statistics are phenomenal, especially when we recognize the 2 to 4 million woman who report domestic violence each year, with so many more cases not reported....
These two phenomenal people were both inspired by Christianity. ... Maya Angelou also cared greatly for the rights of women and she also wrote a poem called "Phenomenal Woman." ... Despite not living in the same century, they were both phenomenal individuals who achieved wonders and inspired many people. The father of the civil rights movement and the renaissance woman were similar people with similar characteristics, yet they were two in a million....
