Maya Angelou Hope into Art Essay - 1343 Words

Maya Angelou: Hope into Art Before delving into a discussion of celebrated writer Maya Angelou, a fuller understanding of the worldview that shapes her work can be gleaned from a brief review of a few lines from the 1962 Nobel Prize winning speech of another celebrated writer, John Steinbeck: The writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate mans proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit--for gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I hold that a writer who does not passionately believe in the perfectability of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature. (Steinbeck 1)†¦show more content†¦Despite the negative events in her life, Angelous works are filled with hope, love and survival. As Angelou says of her life adventures that turn hope into art, There are no natural writers, but there are natural rememberers (Weaver G-10). Angelous last installment in her autobiography series is titled with the first line from her first installment, A song flung up to heaven. By an examination of interviews with Angelou and commentary from critical interpretations, I think I now know the answer of why the caged bird sings. The cage bird sings because of the hope and optimism in its heart that enables it to sing no matter its dour, trapped circumstances. In similar ways, Angelou often used such hope and optimism to survive terrible life experiences, like living through the Watts Riots in Los Angeles and their aftermath. Over the years Angelou had to make tough choices for a female, especially an African-American woman in a racist society. Nevertheless, she exhibited hope, optimism and courage that enabled her to walk the road seldom taken. In one interview Angelou comments about her character in Caged Bird, Annie Johnson, each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and thos e over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or uninviting...step off that road into another direction (KizisShow MoreRelatedEssay On Maya Angelou1280 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Angelou, named at birth, Marguerite Johnson was on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her and her family moved from St. Louis to Stamps, Arkansas, where she was raised growing up. Maya Angelou was an American author, dancer, screenwriter, actress, poet and civil rights activist. Angelou gained a majority of her fame with the memoir she wrote in 1969, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. 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In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Stamps, Arkansas was the embodiment of brutality and racial discriminationRead More Maya Angelou as a Caged Bird Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesMaya Angelou as a Caged Bird    The graduation scene from I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings illustrates how, living in the midst of racism and unequal access to opportunity, Maya Angelou was able to surmount the obstacles that stood in her way of intellectual develop and find higher ground.   One of the largest factors responsible for Angelous academic success was her dedication to and capacity for hard work, My work alone has awarded me a top place...No absences, no tardinesses, and my academic