Maya Angelou's Accomplishments

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Maya Angelou said, “I believe that every person was born with a talent”. Her exquisite poems are filled with literary devices such as extended metaphors, similes, rhyming words, and vivid imagery. The modern day poet, Maya Angelou is comparable to William Shakespeare, who is considered as one of the most inspiring poets in history, having written 37 plays and 154 sonnets (Holt Elements of Literature). Today, Shakespeare is renowned because of his accomplishment of creating or popularizing the iambic pentameter style of 10 syllables per line. His writing is recognized as being rich, eloquent, and varied. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s writing gives each character individuality and depth. Each of Shakespeare's characters is written in …show more content…

The Friar’s ability to speedily devise a plan to prevent Juliet's marriage shows how hasty and irrational the Friar can be. His ability of creating a potion and his comparisons to roses, ash, and windows falling reveals his unusual thought processes. Friar Laurence is enthusiastic that the plan to fake Juliet's death will work, but his complicated scheme contributes to the loss of many lives. The use of metaphors and quick judgements are Shakespeare's way of conveying the deception and precipitous manner of the Friar. Shakespeare uses literary devices to give each character their own unique personality and bring them to life. The Nurse’s flirtatious manner and the Friar’s sanguine and beguiling disposition are expressed by Shakespeare’s use of language. Modern writers, like Maya Angelou, still look towards Shakespeare for inspiration and imitate his writing style. Even though Shakespeare has long been dead, he is still alive through his works and influence on writers through the