American Literature

Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)

Women

African Americans

This collection uses primary sources to explore the poetry of Maya Angelou.

A black and white photograph of Maya Angelou, 1984.

An article in *The Guilfordian* about Maya Angelou’s upcoming appearance, 1976.

*The Guilfordian* was the college newspaper of Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C

An excerpt from an interview with Maya Angelou about the Great Depression, 1992.

An excerpt from an interview in which Maya Angelou talks about writing, 2007.

An excerpt from an interview in which Maya Angelou recites “Little Brown Boy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, 2007.

An excerpt from a radio program in which Maya Angelou interviews Mary J. Blige, 2012. 

A news article remembering the life of Maya Angelou, 2014.

A photograph of Maya Angelou and Cecil Williams at Glide Memorial Church, 1974.

Reverend Cecil Williams is the pastor emeritus of Glide Memorial Church, the largest social service provider in San Francisco. Williams and Angelou first became friends in 1960, and she was a member of Glide and an honorary host over the years.


An excerpt from a recording in which Maya Angelou reads her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s Inauguration, 1993. 

Badges and buttons from the Million Man March, 1995.

A 1988 letter from Angelou to Sterling Houston, a writer whose play *On the Pulse of the Morning* was a collaboration with Angelou.

In the letter, Angelou wishes Houston luck on his newest creative endeavors: *A’Leila*, a musical about the Harlem Renaissance and *Driving Wheel*, a play about the post-World War II 1940s.

An excerpt from a musical recording of African American spirituals and slave songs, 1981.

Questions

1. Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” is reminiscent of African American spirituals and call-and-response songs sung in church. Listen to the sound [recording of African American spirituals](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1026). How does the rhythm of the poem match the rhythm of the song? Why might Angelou have used this form to write her poem?
2. Maya Angelou read her poem “Million Man March” at the Million Man March in 1995. Look at the [badges and the buttons](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1024) from event. Her poem invites the listeners to “clap hands, and let’s come together in this meeting ground.” How does this relate to the spirit of the Million Man March?
3. Read Angelou’s [letter to Sterling Houston](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1025). How is the letter, although not in verse, similar to a poem? Do you notice any use of figurative language? 
4. Read Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning.” Underline parts which seem to invite emphasis. Think about the voice in which you read the poem. Now listen to the poem read by Angelou at [Clinton’s inauguration](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1023). Highlight the parts of the poem that Angelou emphasizes. Do they differ from your own? How important is voice when reading poetry? Who is the speaker in “On the Pulse of Morning”? Who is the audience?
5. Listen to Angelou’s [interview about the Great Depression](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1017) and her feelings of being segregated from “white folks.” How does this connect with the poem “Alone”? In her poem, the speaker repeats the phrase “Nobody, but nobody can make it here alone” several times. Why do you think she connects with white literary characters but not real people?
6. Listen to Maya Angelou’s [interview with singer/songwriter Mary J. Blige](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1020). How are music and poetry similar? Read Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman.” Can you find similarities between both Mary J. Blige and Maya Angelou and the speaker in “Phenomenal Woman”?
7. Listen to Angelou’s [interview about the struggle of writing](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1018). Think about what she says about the difficulty of saying what you mean. Why do you think that Angelou, as a professional writer, says that writing is difficult? Can you always write what you mean? Can you think of a situation when you struggled with getting your point across? Explain.
8. Listen to Angelou [recite](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1019) Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Little Brown Boy.” What is the tone of this poem? How much does voice and an oral recitation of poetry matter to a poem’s meaning? Why do you think Angelou chose to recite this poem from memory?

Activity

1. Ask students to read about Angelou’s passing in the [article remembering her life](http://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-poetry-of-maya-angelou/sources/1021). Ask students to discuss how the events in her life shaped her and what facts about her life they found surprising. Pair students with a partner and have them take turns interviewing each other. They should feel free to fictionalize their future. Finally, have them write a biographical article about each other. As a culminating activity, students can read biographical articles and try to guess who each is about.
2. Have students write a poem using Angelou's style of call-and-response.


Teaching Guide: Exploring the Poetry of Maya Angelou

Resources

1. “[Growing Up Maya Angelou](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/growing-up-maya-angelou-79582387/?no-ist),” *Smithsonian* magazine. 
2. [*And Still I Rise*](http://mayaangeloufilm.com/), website for forthcoming Maya Angelou documentary. 
3. [Caged Bird Legacy: Continuing the Life Work of Maya Angelou](http://www.mayaangelou.com/). 

Overview

Maya Angelou was an author, actor, dancer, poet, producer, director, playwright, professor, and civil rights activist considered one of the most influential voices of her time. She is widely known for her autobiographical works and poetry. Angelou’s *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings* was nominated for the National Book Award in 1969 and *Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie*, published in 1971, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Angelou read her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Clinton’s inauguration ceremony and in 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Angelou the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Her autobiographies include stories of her youth, including being raped as a child, and her move to San Francisco, where she became the first black woman cable car conductor; her poetry considers themes of female strength, black beauty, social injustice, and equality for all. This primary source set includes photographs, illustrations, correspondence, interviews, and a sound recording that provides context for thematic elements in the poetry of Maya Angelou as well as her life. 


English

The Poetry of Maya Angelou

poetry-maya-angelou_08_bc54153565f3b6f11cda2473de13969d.jpg

Courtesy of University of California Berkeley, Bancroft Library via California Digital Library. 

“Maya Angelou and Cecil Williams at Glide Memorial Church, Sunday, July 14, 1974,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/13570a51effde0b7da63dd39d3c65ded.

A photograph of Maya Angelou and Cecil Williams at Glide Memorial Church, 1974.

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Item 8 of 12 in the Primary Source Set The Poetry of Maya Angelou