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Summary Of On The Pulse Of Morning By Maya Angelou

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In the late 20th and early 21st century cultural diversity among the american people was not how it is today. The poem “On the pulse of morning” by Maya Angelou was read at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993. Maya was not only the first woman to read at an inauguration but also the first african american. In the poem, Angelou speaks of a rock, a river, and a tree which are symbols of things such as peace, security, and freedom which are available to all people no matter their background. I believe Angelou wrote this poem to show how similar and connected we are as human beings and that we should unite no matter our differences. 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 …show more content…

The title of the poem “One Today” says it all. Richard Blanco’s motive was the same as Maya Angelou’s which was to spread unity, peace, and equality by coming together. With obama being the first african american president i find this poem extremely important due to the fact that we are no longer living in the past. Blanco states this in the very first sentence ”One sun rose on us today”. He could 've said “yesterday”or “tomorrow” but he chose to say today”. The reasoning for this is for us to live in the present, not the past or future. In 2013 people were more accepting of cultural diversity than in 1993 when Maya Angelou recited her poem. However, being “more accepting” of cultural diversity doesn 't mean discrimination is completely diminished. Discrimination still exists, even today in 2017 but Blanco’s poem strives for a sense of unity as well as serenity and composure by describing what the everyday life of an average american is

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No one would 've ever thought that s/he were similar to a person that lives across the Pacific or atlantic, or even a person across the globe. Actually, s/he might be similar to the person across the globe. Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman and “Human Family” by Maya Angelou both share a common them, even though they talk about two tremendously different topics. This theme is that even with high-scale differences, people can nevertheless recognize similarities with others. Maya Angelou shows the theme by showing that everyone has a diverse lifestyle, but the lifestyle is made up of common things.

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The ideal vision of each individual that comes to to the United States is to have the opportunities to be successful and make their dreams come true with hard work and dedication which is known as the American Dream. But how can someone pursue the American Dream if not every individual does not have the same equality as others. In Maya Angelou’s essay “Rural Museums - Southern Romance”, she wanted closure towards her roots by visiting a museum in Baton Rouge. While she is there, she notice her own people unaware of their history. Maya Angelou argues that African Americans lack interest in the history of their ancestors, if you aren’t aware of your own history it won’t give you the motivation to achieve the American Dream.

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“On The Pulse of Morning” By: Maya Angelou and “One Day” By: Richard Blanco really explain the effects of cultural diversity among us Americans during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. For eample in some ways we are all the same. In the poem one day Richard Blanco stated these very true things such as, how we all wake up, go to work , go to school, and how each of us have our own prbolems no matter what background we came from or even social status. We can grow up living on dirt but with time we can grow into a successful citizen.

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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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Maya Angelou has been an influential woman throughout her life; she left her mark in history and literature, and she celebrated the experience of being black in the US. The most breathtaking of all her achievements is the construction of her own personality. As she stated once, “my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”. Remembering her, it is important to highlight her commitment with equality; it was a fight not only for her own life, for women and for Afro-American people, but also for peace and justice all over the world.

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When thinking of a historical figure, many imagine a president, king, or general that lead a country to greatness, but never realized some could be the ones who influence the minds of society. Although not thought of as anything, writers and poets hold the key to shaping the society’s mindset without even knowing it. Being a civil rights activist, social activist, and role model for women makes Maya Angelou a historical figure who has made a huge impact in American society and in American history. Born poor and black, she was a childhood victim of rape, shamed into silence. She was a young single mother who had to work at strip clubs for a living.

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On March 15, 1965, during the height of the civil rights movement, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a famous speech entitled We Shall Overcome to a joint session of congress. His speech revolved around the oppression of certain groups at the time and the actions which both congress and all Americans must take in order to overcome the adversity presented by roadblocks to social progress. While his speech mainly focused on the right to vote, the ideas contained within spoke beyond this and ultimately looked at what it means for America to be on the top of the world stage, both from a legal and individual perspective. His speech spoke directly to the American people with lines such as “Because it’s not just Negroes, but really it’s all of

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merica’s Future “A Rock, A River, A Tree / Hosts to species long since departed, / Marked the mastodon.” (Lines 1-3). Maya Angelou wrote the inaugural poem “On the Pulse of Morning” for Bill Clinton’s new presidency term in 1993. In her poem she starts with the acknowledging that the rocks, rivers, and trees each have seen many generations come and go.

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Cody Fullerton Karen Clausen-Brown English 121 9 March 2018 Maya Angelou and Mah’Ria Pruitt-Martin: Black Students’ Similarity Throughout Time In “Graduation” by Maya Angelou, it shows Angelou’s experiences as a black student in the 1940s.

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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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The rock, the river, and the tree, used in the poem On the Pulse of the Morning by Maya Angelou read during the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, speak of times in which they have lived through. A time that was simpler, and more humble. However, these three objects in nature have seen many wars, and much hate between different races. They ask for a change that allows for people to come together and live humbly amongst one another.

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This explication is on the poem “Africa” by Maya Angelou. In the poem, the speaker shows the suffering of Africa by personification, imagery, and wordplay to result that Africa is moving forward to regain herself to give us all the world has done to Africa. The speaker is a knowledgeable person who is passionate and knows well about Africa. The poem takes the setting of Africa and in the time period around the 1400s - 1500s. The poem is an ABAB pattern with three stanzas.

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Conversely, the tone in the fourth stanzas is more casual. The protagonist appears to be more settled, and appreciative to be finished with every one of her tasks. As at the time, Racism was practiced, Angelou could also be discussing about the African American slave lady who is compelled to do this work

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