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Peace In Maya Angelou's On The Pulse Of The Morning

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Peace is something that most every person wishes for, however, it is something that has been unattainable between humans. But in nature, peace is something that a rock, a river, and a tree have experienced long before humans came around wielding swards and nasty words. In Maya Angelou’s poem On the Pulse of the Morning, which was read during the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993, these objects of nature had long ago seen a simpler time that was more humble and peaceful, but they no longer can because of the mess that humans have made. They plead for peace and tranquility. They plead for a change; a change that brings everyone together in harmony. This country is nothing but pain, war, and hatred, if there is not peace between …show more content…

It tells of the many different people that it has seen in its time. The different races, the different religions, and the different walks of life. The tree wants it known that race should not determine the worth of a human being. All humans do not come from the same country, but somehow many of them have ended up in America where it is known to be a “melting pot” of races. And just like race, religion should not define a person. Just because someone either believes in the same God or believes in some other form of higher power, it should not determine how a person is treated. And lastly, the tree knows that not everyone comes from the same lifestyle. Some have careers while some live on the streets with barely a penny in their pockets. This is not something that should separate people from one another. That homeless person is not much different than the person that walks into the office building every day, however, they are still treated differently. The gay couple is also not much different than the straight couple, but they are still treated differently. Is all of this hate due to the way humans are raised, or is it due to the voices that are in the media? Hate towards other types of people is the thing that is prohibiting peace, it is something that needs to be put to rest. The tree reminds humans that “Each of you, descendant of some passed / On traveler, has been paid for”

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