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Maya Angelou On The Pulse Of The Morning

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“On the Pulse of the Morning” In 1992 Maya Angelou performed her poem “On the Pulse of The Morning” at Bill Clinton’s inauguration ceremony. The poem itself speaks for all American citizens, no matter the color, or wherever people come from. In the poem Angelou talks about three things, the Rock, the River, and the Tree. Angelou explains how all three of things represent something in life. They all have been on this earth since pre-historic times like when the dinosaurs walked the earth and even ancient creatures. The Rock is representing the voice of the American citizens. It’s telling people to stand up for what they believe in and have a voice of their own. Angelou is also using the rock as showing the people how to be strong and hold their head up high in the air. Instead of hiding our heads and standing behind someone else’s shadow, was not an option for “the rock.” In God’s eyes, no one is greater than the other. One day the people who were in other people’s shadow will emerge from the shadow of the rock. …show more content…

She says that people are closed off to each other and to the world. Most people in America are not willing to get rid of their borders because they’ve been hurt in the past so many times, that they tend to build up a wall. The River forgives people for their sins and allows the person to let go of their problems and join the riverside, which will end all their

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Within the poems “On the Pulse of Morning” by Maya Angelou, and “One Today” by Richard Blanco, several challenges of the times the poems were written in were displayed, though not directly. In “On the Pulse of the Morning,” the Rock that Angelou describes wants us to “face [our] distant destiny, but seek no haven in [the Rock’s] shadow.” This line represents Americans looking out at the destiny of America. The Rock warns the reader away from the shadows, which typically symbolize evil, atrocity, and corruptness. Continuing on in the poem, Angelou expresses through the River that people “have left collars of waste upon [the River’s] shore, currents of debris upon [the River’s] breast.”

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Angelou uses achievement in the poem, saying people all have rock, rivers, and trees in their lives, and that affects people on how they make decisions and how they turn out. She says “Good morning” (Angelou 106). This idea means that people have a new day to do whatever they want, and they can achieve anything they desire. To put it another way, Cady Stanton was the complete opposite from Angelou; She was talking about rights women should have , also how men have affected that. A good quote to explain this is, “Man has made a women an irresponsible moral being” (Stanton 113).

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In this essay, Maya Angelou demonstrates how the African American community was brought together by a fight to prove to the Whites that they too had the ability to succeed. The fight was an important event for the African Americans since back then they were looked as weak and if they won this fight it would signify that regardless of their race they had power. The African Americans gathered as a community for this fight and reacted the same way as Joe Louis; when he was getting beaten the crowd groaned and when he had the opportunity to beat the opponent, the crowd cheered. Maya Angelou writes this to display the strength a certain group obtains when brought together to achieve the same thing. Growing up in a big city has introduced me to different

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Angelou and Gorman both explain that the United States needed to try harder to unite. For example, in Angelou's poem lines 43-52 say, "So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew the African and Native American, the Sioux, The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek the Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh, The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher. They hear. They all hear the speaking of the Tree. Today, the first and last of every Tree Speaks to humankind.

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What both of these characters fought and strived for came to be true presently. Although, many little achievements were met, their ultimate goals became a success. Angelou tells about the people in an individual's life, presently and from the past. They went through and overcame struggles, working hard for future generations to be free as analyzed within one of the many quotes, “ But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully, come, you may stand upon my and face your distant destiny, but seek no haven in my shadow” (Angelou 9-12).

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In 1942, she became the first female car conductor. Additionally, she directed her very first film titled "Down in Delta." Her series of autobiographies published in the 1970s earned her a nomination for a national book award. Even though she published her first series of autobiographies in 1970, she did not gain publicity until she read her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton (Maya Angelou" Newsmaker). Not only was she a writer, but she was also a teacher, dancer, and film director.

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Stanza 4 states “You, created only a little lower than The angels, have crouched too long in The bruising darkness Have lain too long Face down in ignorance. Your mouths spilling words” Angelou is saying that the american people are capable of rising above the hurtful words and ignorance

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America is a symbol of freedom. The poems “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes and “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou both describe how America was rather unfair during their times. Langston Hughes was a key figure during the Harlem Renaissance and Maya Angelou did not become famous or recognized until her first autobiography. Even though “I, Too, Sing America” and “Still I Rise” have completely different tones, they both convey the message of how inequality was prevalent in America. Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou both talk about how in the future they will come back and be free.

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This line from Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” illustrates the effects of cultural diversity among the American people during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Different cultures distanced themselves from one another and were not coming together peacefully. “Yet today I call you to my riverside, If you will study war no more.” This line could be interpreted as the river saying to the people that they need to stop fighting and come together. “They hear.

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In this poem “On the Pulse of the Morning”, Angelou refers to different races, cultures, and religions all working together. The main theme and purpose of this poem was for Angelou to point out to all of humankind that they need to return to the original foundations that made the country great, including basic values and an appreciation of nature (Bloom, 2001). This theme was related to Bill Clinton’s mission as President. "On the Pulse of Morning" dually worked to help convey the many goals of Clinton's new administration (Lupton, 1998, p.

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Maya Angelou was a multi-talented woman who was an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, and poet. She was a civil rights activist who fought for equal rights and opportunities. She also recited "On the Pulse of Morning" at Bill Clinton's inauguration in nineteen ninety-three. Angelou has numerous outstanding accomplishments, one being a poet. In the poem "Caged Bird," it begins with showing how the white race was in control and that African-Americans were judged.

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Angelou speaks to other woman through her poem. She tells them it 's alright to be confident about who you are, and

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The importance of having appreciation of our previous generations for what they have done for us and what they have left is highlighted in line 39, “Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave”. Also, “I am the dream and the hope of the slave” (40) shows how Angelou

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(Angelou 33-34). The I Angelou is referring to is the culture’s size and strength that all possess. The welling and swelling can be related to the experiences that caused them much pain. “Our pathetic whine of not being understood pales in comparison to the struggles of centuries she portrays, as it should.” (Dickinson, 5).The problems faced are not just some little hiccup, they are a larger than they are being treated.

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The rhyme scheme emphasizes certain words that make Angelou’s message more clear; the comparisons in the figurative language give more specific details to the message; the syntax helps perpetuate the theme throughout the poem; and the diction develops the first half of the message. Each device Angelou used in this poem was for a particular purpose, which is one thing that makes it truly artistic. Moreover, Angelou’s exceptional use of literary devices to convey the theme exemplify her talent, style, and creativity in her writing. Her ability to write a poem on self-confidence and acceptance, even after the conflicts she faced in the past, goes on to show her strength as a human being in general. With the creativity and strength in spirit she possesses, Maya Angelou was certainly able to successfully convey her message to her audience: that each individual should find their self-worth, rise above their pasts and distaste others show toward them, look to a better future, and not let anyone or anything bring them

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