Essay On Maya Angelou - 1121 Words

A light is supposed to help you see your way; it brightens not just your day, but your path. These were the words spoken by Dr. Maya Angelou, a well-known American poet, an actress, a singer; overall, a jack of all trades. During Angelous visit to the Glide Memorial church in San Francisco, she taught the importance of inspiring others and shining your light on them despite your differences. Regardless of your ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion or age; you should treat everyone with kindness and with the upmost respect. She teaches this lesson to her audience by reflecting on the hardships throughout her life; all while managing to come out being victorious and being an inspiration to people throughout her literary work and her†¦show more content†¦Angelou starts to sing, This little light of mine, Im going to let it shine. The audience starts to sing along with her and cheer her on. Angelou starts to recite the poem Incident, by Countee Cullen; quoting the part about th e racial slur made by a former Baltimorean, Dr. Angelou mocked, you nig-um!, you little black nig-umum!, you dirty little nig-umum! Making these sound effects, I knew that this degrading, hateful slur was unbearable for her to say. But still, she said, Everywhere I go, Im going to let it shine! Angelou uses the words of this song to symbolize her speech, saying everywhere she goes, she is going to let her light reflect on others with her presence. She interchanges reciting poems and singing this song, to show her audience that despite what bad things try to discourage us; we should still continue to let our light shine. As she continues to address the crowd, she wishes the members of the Glide church and the community a good morning. Maya Angelou begins to share her depressing life story with the audience to further strengthen her point on letting your light shine on others. She even goes further to make a point of saying that it is our responsibility, probability, possibility, and potential to be a light on somebodys path because you never know what someone is going through. By saying this, it is implied that it is our obligation to brighten up someones day and that we have the chance to make it better. WhileShow MoreRelatedEssay On Maya Angelou1879 Words   |  8 PagesMaya Angelou is one of the most important American Authors who ever lived. She was an African-American woman who spoke her mind and when someone told her she couldn’t do something, it made her want to do it even more so that she could prove them wrong (Shapiro). Her life was incredibly difficult, but it made her who she was and influenced her writing and poetry immensely. As Gary Younge once said, â€Å"To know her life story is to simultaneously wonder what on earth you have been doing with yourRead MoreMaya Angelou Response Essay717 Words   |  3 PagesAmerican history since colonial times. 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She beared enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people dont experience in a lifetime. Yet she prevailed. She forced herself to become stronger. And in doing so, she produced writings, which in turn, helped others to become strong. Her experiences and the lessons learned gave her confidence to be a teacher, a preacher, and an inspiration to millions. Maya Angelou was courageous. BasedRead More Maya Angelou Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pages Maya Angelou is a phenomenal woman. She was born into a devastating decade, that suffered numerous tragedies. Not only had society shaped her as a woman, she has also shaped our society and influenced many lives. She is still living today, yet I believe her legend will never die. Furthermore I will share with you what motivated her and some of her gratifying experiences. How she was effected by society, and what she did about it. 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Her exploration of this universal theme lends itself to a very large and diverse audience.   Throughout Angelous works, she allows her followers to witness her metamorphosis through different aspects of motherhood.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Well-worked themes are always present in Angelous works-   self-