Introduction
Maya Angelou was an award-winning author and poet who is recognized for several poetry and essay collections such as All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes and I know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She was a civil rights activists and actress. She was a mentor and was willing to celebrate her personal achievements. She had mastered numerous languages that were published in children’s stories, cookbooks, advice books, and poetry. Additionally, she wrote screenplays, plays, and music (Washington, 2017). This paper seeks to discuss the unique attributes of Maya Angelou and the way her history influenced her writing.
What makes the author unique?
As an author, Maya Angelou was unique because she was one of the most influential voices in the United States in the historical period, and she is still relevant in our contemporary society. She was able to inspire others through her poetry, writings about her personal story and through activism. She was a hero for peace, tolerance, and equality. She wanted to change the world because she did not like certain things happening in the country. For instance, she did not like how women were denied jobs and was against racism. She encouraged people to face hardships and trials in life with confidence and overcome the obstacles to success. She always promoted positivity and had a strong will to never give up. Her ability to remain strong in the early historical period makes her a hero in the eyes of many people. Her beloved books are a guide to many readers who adore her work especially her most famous book, “I know Why the Gaged Bird Sings” (Washington, 2017).
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Angelou’s History that influenced her Writing
Angelou’s history played a big role in her writing. Her books are life fascinating that has captured the attention of people, who use the books as a guide to resolve what they are facing in the complicated country of America. She began writing at a young age of 9 years. She used writing including poetry and other great literature to handle the trauma she was experiencing. She loved poetry, which was sung in her church and she felt poetry was a wonderful way of talking. She decided to use writing and poetry to talk about her rape experience, racism, and other traumatic things she faced while growing up as an African American living in the U.S (Tait & Daniels, 2018).
Her boyfriend’s mother raped Angelou at young age and this event left her traumatized. Sexual assault of women is common incidence in our contemporary society, which can be a very devastating experience to a victim. Sharing her experiences of sexual assault has encouraged and inspired many women across the globe (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). Despite the culture of silence and shame, Angelou was able to beat the odds by being a rape survivor for over 40 years. Being an African American, born from a poor family and living with a single parent, Angelou faced racial discrimination and poverty, which was rampant at that time.
Conclusion
Maya Angelou was a renowned writer who had unique qualities as a writer. She wrote poems and advice books that have positively influenced the lives of many people in the U.S and worldwide. She wanted to change the world by promoting equality peace, and tolerance through poetry and advise books. Her writings were influenced by her history. She used her own life experience in her writings to inspire the readers on how to cope with trauma for rape victims, racism, and other things that people face in this complicated society. Therefore, Angelou’s writings have significantly influenced the lives of people, positively, throughout the world.
References
Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., & Steinmetz, S. K. (2017). Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family . Routledge.
Tait, G. B., & Daniels, G. L. (2018). Are They the Greatest? A Visual Comparative Analysis of Muhammad Ali and Maya Angelou Published on American Newspaper Front Pages. Visual Communication Quarterly , 25 (3), 143-155.
Washington, M. H. (2017). Teaching Black-Eyed Susans: An Approach to the Study of Black Women Writers. African American Review , 50 (4), 554-558.
