Characteristics Of Maya Angelou - 799 Words

Maya Angelou What characteristics make up a good leader? A few that might come to mind are bravery, being inspirational and helpful, and being able to present and write well enough to captivate an audience. These are the characteristics that made Maya Angelou a good leader. Maya Angelou was very brave. One of the things that makes her brave is being able to talk about being sexually abused. At the young age of seven, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. This happened while she was briefly staying with her mother in St. Louis. For the rest of her life, she would have that memory in her brain, reminding her of such a traumatic experience. In 1970, Angelou had an autobiography that was on the New York Times’ bestseller†¦show more content†¦Maya Angelou was inspirational and helpful to others. She has helped people to look at themselves and other people in different, better ways. Angelou also had a joyful and loving personality. She was very engaged in everyt hing that she did (Hoffert). Along with her outstanding personality and inspiration to others, Angelou was helpful. She helped people from many nations and bridged divides between races. This was such an admirable trait that a residence hall at Wake Forest University was named after Angelou (Kennedy). It has been said by Toni Morrison that she was there when you need it the most. Morrison has a firsthand experience with this because Angelou was the first person not in the family to call when Morrison’s son died (Hoffert). Although Angelou did lots of things that people looked up to her for, there are some people that dislike her and some of her beliefs. One of those things that people dislike about her is that she is pro-communist. Along with being pro-communist, she supported Castro, who led the Cuban Revolution. Castro was also a communist so these two reasons go hand in hand. American beliefs were anti-communist. Why would people like her if she went against that common st andard of America? Along with disagreeing with the majority of Americans, Angelou thought very highly of herself. She knew that people loved her and she made sure that everyone knew of her presence (Why Do These Republicans HateShow MoreRelatedEssay On Maya Angelou1280 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Angelou, named at birth, Marguerite Johnson was on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her and her family moved from St. Louis to Stamps, Arkansas, where she was raised growing up. Maya Angelou was an American author, dancer, screenwriter, actress, poet and civil rights activist. Angelou gained a majority of her fame with the memoir she wrote in 1969, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This memoir made literary history as being the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American womanRead MoreEssay on The Interpretation of None the Other, Maya Angelou1508 Words   |  7 Pagesworld holds. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a glo bal renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. As a strong African-American woman, she has experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, yet also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. Dr. Maya Angelou’s notoriousRead MoreMaya Angelou Poetry942 Words   |  4 PagesMaya Angelou is considered by many to be the foremost poet of her age. While the themes of her literature are largely connected, her delivery is varied. In her poetry, she has used wit, sarcasm, imagery, and diverse rhythm. Angelou has used these techniques and the recognition it has provided for her, to fight for the civil rights of African Americans and women. After examining the life of Maya Angelou, it is easy to see that much of her work focuses on the significance of African Americans and womenRead MoreUxt Task 1945 Words   |  4 Pagesreading, â€Å"Still I Rise†, by Maya Angelou, I immediately get a sense of perseverance and pride. The author seems to be addressing her adversaries directly through her words. I love the imagery used in this poem. I can almost see the dust rising and can feel the swelling of the black ocean that the author mentions. â€Å"Cause I walk like I got oil wells pumping in my living room†(Angelou, 1978), and, â€Å"Laugh like I’ve got gold mines diggin’ in my own back yard† (Angelou, 1978), tells me that the authorRead MoreAnalysis Of Inaugural Poem By Maya Angelou767 Words   |  4 Pageschose to examine was the Inaugural Poem by Maya Angelou. This poem was written specifically for one occasion; President Bill Clintons inauguration ceremony in January, 1993. Through the usage of several poetic devices, Maya Angelou enhances the meaning of her poem. The first poetic device I will focus on is the rhyme scheme. There is not a consistent rhyme scheme followed throughout the poem. The reasoning behind this was to capture the flow of Maya Angelou’s numerous thoughts on this historicRead MoreI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Essay782 Words   |  4 Pagesup in a small town in Arkansas, Maya Angelou has evolved into an influential, wise, and respected woman. She has overcome obstacles and has grown into one of the à ©lite intellectual people of this country, and perhaps the world. Along her numerous struggles, various people have given her positive guidance and passed down their knowledge to her. Among these people was Mrs. Bertha Flowers, a person in which Maya respected greatly. She was a dignified person that Maya could strive to achieve the gratitudeRead MoreAnalysis Of Africa By Maya Angelou768 Words   |  4 PagesBeauty, Struggle, and Rise: The Journey of Africa Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Africa† is an exceptional poem that talks about the injustices faced by the Blacks during the 18th century. In fact, the poem takes the readers back to the slave trade and the many difficulties it brought to Africans. Each stanza of the poem symbolizes a particular characteristic/stage related to Africa. While the first stanza describes Africas physical features, the second and third stanzas demonstrate the struggles of the continentRead MoreHear Her Roar: the Feminist Strengths in Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise1018 Words   |  5 PagesRiver State College April 10, 2013 Maya Angelou Maya Angelou Abstract Growing up during times of common race and gender discrimination, Maya Angelou has proven to people she is a strong African American woman who would not allow inequality of any kind bring her down. This paper describes the feminist strengths Angelou refers to and implies in her two famous poems Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise. Read MoreThe Poetry Pundits : Racism1197 Words   |  5 PagesPoetry Pundits. I’m your host Max Millis, and in today’s podcast I will be analysing two poems by acclaimed American poet, storyteller, activist, and autobiographer, Maya Angelou. Angelou spent most of her childhood in Arkansas, and as an African American, experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination at an early age. Angelou sadly passed in 2014; however she will forever be remembered as a prolific and widely-read poet, whose poetry was lauded for its influential depictions of black beautyRead MoreA Phenomenal Woman By Jane Austen1063 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures† (In Persuasion, Chapter 8). In Maya Angelou’s poem Phenomenal Woman, she expresses her frustration with the conventions of what the ideal women is commonly seen as. The poem also illustrates the importance of confidence and how it affects the perception of others. Angelou showcases a young woman in her poem that fails to meet societal expectations of the ideal physical appearance of women in today’s