Maya Angelou: A Beacon of Resilience and Poetry - Philosophical.chat (2024)

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What does Maya Angelou's poetry teach us about resilience? ›

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Despite these adversities, she exemplified resilience. Angelou's teachings encourage us to rise above our circ*mstances, acknowledging that setbacks are not the end but rather opportunities for growth and transformation.

Angelou's life was no walk in the park. She faced racial prejudice and personal battles, but instead of being knocked down, she rose, shining brighter, molding hurdles into stepping stones. Her philosophy, deeply rooted in the belief that we are more alike than unalike, extends beyond words.

General themes. Angelou explores many of the same themes throughout all her writings, in both her autobiographies and poetry. These themes include love, painful loss, music, discrimination and racism, and struggle. According to DeGout, Angelou's poetry cannot easily be placed in categories of themes or techniques.

Poetic Device 1: Repetition

Similar to the refrain of a song, repetition can also be used to create a particular rhythmic effect and set a poem's mood. In “Still I Rise,” Angelou's speaker repeats the refrain, “Still I rise” and, “I rise” to convey the power of Black resilience and set a triumphant tone.

She experienced racism and poverty when she was young and had a lot of hardships. Yet, Angelou was determined to make something of her life and she kept going despite the obstacles. Her strength and will to keep going encouraged many and she overcame her oppressive upbringing to become a celebrated writer and poet.

Any good thing, I can do it. That's why I am who I am, yes, because God loves me and I'm amazed at it. I'm grateful for it." Angelou explained how her faith gave her courage to pursue opportunities in a 2013 article by Chelsea Brasted at the Times-Picayune.

Maya Angelou liked to say that people will forget what you said or did in your life, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Hers was a remarkable life, linking worlds of civil rights, poetry, and acting, while teaching the world that diversity makes the world beautiful and interesting.

Her themes deal broadly with the painful anguish suffered by blacks forced into submission, with guilt over accepting too much, and with protest and basic survival.” As Angelou wrote her autobiographies and poems, she continued her career in film and television.

Returning to her mother's care briefly at the age of seven, Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend. He was later jailed and then killed when released from jail. Believing that her confession of the trauma had a hand in the man's death, Angelou became mute for six years.

She was hailed as an internationally regarded figure for her role as a civil rights leader who fought for social and racial justice. Angelou resided in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for over thirty years.

How has Maya Angelou changed society? ›

Angelou's writings have altered society for the better, bringing greater diversity into the theater and literature. Her autobiographical works provide powerful insights into the evolution of Black women in the 20th century.

Let's follow Maya Angelou example and become "Resilience Ready", she once said "I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."

Still I Rise” is primarily about self-respect and confidence. In the poem, Angelou reveals how she will overcome anything through her self-esteem. She shows how nothing can get her down. She will rise to any occasion and nothing, not even her skin color, will hold her back.

One way that Angelou showed resilience in her life was by following her dream despite all of the trauma in here life that could have suppressed her.

The caged bird's longing for freedom also demonstrates the black community's resilience against this oppression. The poem's first key insight about freedom pertains to what a free being is allowed to think about. Putting that more concretely- because the free bird is free, it never has to think about its own freedom.

I like how Angelou put it: “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.”

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou is a powerful poem that resonates with themes of resilience, strength, and the indomitable spirit, exuding a triumphant aura in the face of adversity.