Maya Angelou Poetry
Professor Elizabeth Alexander had the challenging task of writing a poem for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She read that poem, “Praise Song for the Day,” aloud to millions of people on January 20, 2009. Alexander, an African-American poet, filled the shoes of literary giants like Robert Frost, Miller Williams, and Maya Angelou, all of whom read original poems at past presidential inaugurations.Alexander chose to write her poem in the form of a “praise song.” A praise song is a traditional form of African poetry, one that usually celebrates an individual, a god, a village, or an aspect of nature.
This choice of form seems particularly apt in light of President Obama’s African heritage.When looking at this poem, a good place to start is by asking whom or what is Alexander’s poem praising?* “the day” – As you might guess, Alexander is praising “the day” – January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama’s inauguration day. But this day is more than just another presidential inauguration. Alexander is celebrating the day that a black man can become the President of the United States.* “the dead who brought us here, / who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, / picked the cotton and the lettuce, built / brick by brick the glittering edifices / they would then keep clean and work inside of” – Alexander praises the people that carried us to this momentous day.
Each of the jobs listed above may correspond to a group of Americans. Here are a few possibilities: “who laid the train tracks” could refer to the many Chinese immigrants who worked to build the Central Pacific Railroad. “Who [...] picked the cotton” likely refers to black slaves, whereas those who “picked [...] the lettuce” may be a reference to Mexican migrant workers, especially in California. This poem honors and praises the many people who built and developed our nation.* “the struggle” – This struggle seems to be related to the people that Alexander referred to above – immigrants, slaves, and other hardworking Americans – who have struggled for equality, racial justice, and a better future.* “every hand-lettered sign” – She goes on to celebrate the many people of today who have participated in the Obama campaign, making “hand-lettered sign[s].” In this way, Alexander is recognizing the numerous average Americans who have volunteered in large and small ways, to bring about this amazing day.Just as the poet praises the progress that America and Americans have made, the structure of her poem also reflects this movement and progress using the metaphor of walking.
The poem opens saying, “Each day we go about our business, / walking past each other, catching each other’s / eyes or not.” This line reminds us of how busy we can become with our tasks, text messages, or our own worlds. “Walking past” also indicates that people move in multiple different directions as they go about the business of their daily lives.The poem then focuses on ordinary tasks performed by Americans of all backgrounds – tasks like mending clothes, fixing flat tires, making music, waiting for the bus, taking a test, or checking out the clouds in the sky. This establishes that this work of poetry is about average Americans – teachers, farmers, mothers, handymen.Alexander seems to present several voices of people who walk traditional and non-traditional paths – some seeking safety, some new frontiers, and some a better life. All of them walk toward an unknown future.
This interpretation is just one of many possible, but perhaps the poet is suggesting that each person is propelled forward by a sense of stewardship for the spirit, the body, or the earth, but ultimately they are driven by love. Further, she may be saying that if we recognize this common thread as global citizens, we will “cast a widening pool of light.”At the end of the poem, Alexander uses a similar image of walking, but instead of “walking past each other,” she describes “walking forward in that light.” We move from walking “past” to walking “forward,” from the past to the future. The idea of walking “forward” indicates people walking in the same direction, in sync and united. This walking together has brought the country to “the brink, [...] the brim, [...] the cusp” of something altogether new, a time in American history in which “anything can be made, any sentence begun.”Alexander closes her praise song by celebrating America’s new direction.
About the Poet: Elizabeth Alexander is a professor of African American Studies at Yale University. Barack Obama’s selection of her was called “perfect” by the president of the Poetry Foundation, John Barr. In Barr’s words, “Alexander is one of the seminal voices in contemporary American poetry. Like Whitman before her, Alexander has always sought in her poems to celebrate America’s tremendous common spirit and endurance by acknowledging our differences and triumphs” (source).
Shmoop is an online study guide for English Literature, Poems and American history. It’s a perfect aid for students and teachers seeking guidance with advance study, essays and writing papers. Its content is written by Ph.D. and Masters students from top universities, like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale who have also taught at the high school and college levels. It promises to make learning and writing more fun and relevant. Teachers and students should feel confident to cite Shmoop as a source in essays and papers.
Bryana Reading Maya Angelou’s Poem Phenomenal Women
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On the Pulse of Morning by Maya Angelou $25.00 |
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I Shall Not Be Moved by Maya Angelou (1991, Paperback, Reprint) $4.45 |
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Maya Angelou: Poems, Maya Angelou, Very Good, Paperback $5.98 |
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Maya Angelou: Poems, Maya Angelou, Good, Paperback $5.98 |
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AMAZING PEACE A CHRISTMAS POEM MAYA ANGELOU HC/DJ 1st $9.99 |
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On the Pulse of Morning by Maya Angelou (1993, Paperback) $5.00 |
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Poems by Maya Angelou (1997, Paperback) $2.59 |
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Maya Angelou by Maya Angelou (1989, Paperback, Reprint) $1.99 |
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Maya Angelou, ON THE PULSE OF MORNING The Inaugural Poem 1993 1st edition $12.00 |
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The Poetry of Maya Angelou Perception LP Spoken Word 1972 Promo DJ Copy $0.99 |
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Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women by Maya Angelou (1995, Hardcover) $1.99 |
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Maya Angelou Poems Just Give Me a Cool by Maya Angelou 0553207717 $4.97 |
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Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou 1400065585 $4.97 |
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MAYA ANGELOU Signed 1994 COLLECTED POEMS HB DJ $99.99 |
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Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer, Maya Angelou, Good Book $3.98 |
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Hardcover in DJ. Maya Angelou: Mother: A Cradle to Hold Me: Random House 972223 $3.99 |
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Maya Angelou: Poems by Maya Angelou $1.00 |
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Maya Angelou by Maya Angelou (1989, Paperback, Reprint) $0.01 |
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AMAZING PEACE ~ Maya Angelou Christmas Poem ~ CD only ~ Read by Angelou $5.00 |
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A BRAVE AND STARTLING TRUTH BY MAYA ANGELOU $6.00 |
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Bird Escape Cage Caged Sings Animals 3D OOAK Art Maya Angelou Poem Inspiration $39.00 |
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Maya Angelou by Maya Angelou (1989, Paperback) L33f3 $6.49 |
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On the Pulse of Morning, Maya Angelou, Good Book $1.00 |
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The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou by Maya A $4.96 |
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Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem, Maya Angelou, Book $13.77 |
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The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou – 1994 $24.00 |
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Amazing Peace Christmas Poem Maya Angelou 2005, HC/DJ + $5.98 |
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A Song Flung Up to Heaven by Maya Angelou (2002, Hardcover-First Edition) $4.99 |
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I Shall Not Be Moved: Poems .. Maya Angelou $8.80 |
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Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou $11.75 |
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A Song Flung Up to Heaven Maya Angelou $4.99 |
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Black Pearls: The Poetry Of Maya Angelou $17.98 Black Pearls: The Poetry of Maya Angelou opens with the poet reading hard words: “No, the gap-legged whore on the eastern shore, enticing Europe to come into her”; “kneeling mothers picking undigested beans from yesterday’s shit”; and “what a pity, the pity has folded in upon itself.” The poet’s rawness of vision and power seem capable of moving mountains. Some 30 years ago, when these words were … |
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Words for You $8.22 Words For You is a stunning collection of 22 of the greatest poems of all time, read by the best voices in American acting and set to the greatest classical music ever composed. Features readings from Meryl Streep, James Earl Jones, Helena Bonham Carter, Garrison Keillor, Jim Broadbent, Ruby Dee, and Terrence Stamp. Includes poems by Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allen Poe and Maya Angelou wit… |
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THE POETRY OF Maya Angelou $30.00 … |
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Poetic Justice [VHS] $4.30 Director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Rosewood) made an earnest effort in this, his second, film to say a great deal that is true and relevant about living and loving in a violent, difficult time in American history. Janet Jackson plays a beautician and poet who withdraws into herself after her boyfriend is murdered by gangsters. The late Tupac Shakur plays a postman who tries to get through t… |
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The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou By Angelou, Maya $29.81 Presents a definitive collection of poetry from Angelous previous anthologiesJust Give Me a Cool Drink of Water, Oh Pray my Wings Gonna Fit Me Well, And Still I Rise, I Shall Not Be Moved, On the Pulse of Morning, and Shaker, Why Dont You Sing? 50,000 first printing. Author: Angelou, Maya Publication Date: 1994/09/01 Number of Pages: 273 Binding Type: Hardbound Language: English Depth: 1.50 Width: 6.75 Height: 9.50 |
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[CD] And Still I Rise By Angelou, Maya $16.38 Maya Angelous third poetry collection, a unique celebration of life, consists of rhythms of strength, love, and remembrance, songs of the street, and lyrics of the heart. Author: Angelou, Maya/ Angelou, Maya (NRT) Publication Date: 2001/08/01 Binding Type: CD/Spoken Word Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 5.00 Height: 5.50 |
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Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou $12.45 No Synopsis Available |
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Maya Angelou By Angelou, Maya $12.4 Deals with love, death, nature, the past, sorrow, selfimage, street life, memories, aging, men and women, childhood, racism, and writers Author: Angelou, Maya Subtitle: Poems : Just Give a Cool Drink of Water Fore I Diiie/Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well/and Still I Rise/Shaker, Why Dont You Sing? Publication Date: 1989/04/01 Binding Type: Paperback Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 4.25 Height: 7.00 |
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Phenomenal Woman By Angelou, Maya/ Gauguin, Paul/ Sunshine, Linda $24.4 Accompanied by paintings from Paul Gauguin, this beloved poem by the celebrated African American poet reintroduces readers to this inspiring work of poetry. Author: Angelou, Maya/ Gauguin, Paul/ Sunshine, Linda Publication Date: 2000/02/01 Binding Type: Hardcover Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 6.50 Height: 8.25 |
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THE COLLECTED AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF MAYA ANGELOU By Angelou, Maya $41.08 A single volume omnibus edition featuring Angelous celebrated autobiographies contains I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in My Name, Singin and Swingin and Gettin Merry Like Christmas, The Heart of a Woman, All Gods Children Need Traveling Shoes, and A Song Flung Up to Heaven. 20,000 first printing. Author: Angelou, Maya Series Title: Modern Library Publication Date: 2004/09/01 Number of Pages: 1167 Binding Type: Hardcover Language: English Depth: 2.25 Width: 5.75 Height: 8.25 |
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Maya Angelou $31.95 No Synopsis Available |
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Amazing Peace By Angelou, Maya $14.13 A Christmas poem, written for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in 2005, celebrates the goodness of life, the value of peace, and the spirit of the season for those of all faiths. Author: Angelou, Maya Subtitle: A Christmas Poem Publication Date: 2005/12/01 Number of Pages: 32 Binding Type: Hardcover Language: English Depth: 0.25 Width: 5.25 Height: 7.00 |