Ela Maya Angelou Project F

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Maya Angelou

(1928 - 2014)

If you don't like something, change it. If you
can't change it, change your attitude.







By: Isabella Pelaez





Table of Contents


Introduction...Page 3

Biography..Page 4 5

Poems by Dr. Maya Angelou

Still I Rise Poem/AnalysisPage 6 - 7

Phenomenal Woman Poem/AnalysisPage 7 - 8

Touched by an Angel Poem/Analysis Page 9

Alone Poem/ AnalysisPage 10

Poems Isabella Pelaez

Alfie/Why I chose this poem..Page 11

Beach/Why I chose this poemPage 11

Why cant I do this!/Why I chose this poem.................................................Page 12

HomePage 12

SoftballPage 12-13

Resources.. Page 14









Why I have chosen Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is the poet I have chosen to learn and write about because she was
a woman that has fought through a lot of discrimination and a lot of abuse.
I have chosen Maya Angelou because she has achieved a great deal in her life in spite of
the fact that she didnt have loving parents and was raised by her grandmother. I have
also chosen to write about Maya Angelou because she has been a big activist for freedom,
civil rights. She wrote for women so that they could be encouraged to be who they are.
She wrote stories for kids to show them that they didnt have to be afraid of everything in
life and that they had power over things. She was a woman who tried to make a
difference through her poetry, her writing and her actions.
I have learned from Maya Angelou that you should write about what you believe
in because she always wrote about things like racism and discrimination because she felt
strongly about those issues. As she got older, her words became actions and she worked
alongside two very important people to help put an end to racial discrimination. I have
learned that Maya Angelou wanted to empower women, she wanted to teach children that
they didnt have to be afraid of everything in life, that African Americans didnt have to
be ashamed of being who they were and that they could succeed in life if they put their
heart into. I think Maya Angelous poetry is worth reading because her poetry is
powerful and can touch a readers heart and mind. Maya Angelous poetry is important
because the words that she writes can encourage people to make a difference and be
better. Many people including myself enjoy Maya Angelous poetry because she
conveys her feelings, her thoughts and her struggles as a child, as an adult and as a
human being.


All about Maya Angelou

Marguerite Johnson also known as Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri
on April 4, 1928 and died May 28, 2014. Her parents Vivian and Bailey Johnson
divorced when Maya Angelou was three. She was forced to live in Stamps, Arkansas
with her grandmother. At the age of 8 while visiting her mother her mothers boyfriend
sexually abused her. Maya Angelou fell silent for 5 years because she thought her words
had killed her attacker. At the age of 14, she won a scholarship to study dance and
Drama at San Francisco Labor School. She dropped out to become San Franciscos first
African American female cable car conductor. She gave birth to her son Guy Johnson in
1934 at the age of 16 she was a single mom. She was married 3 times. Angelou began to
write poetry as a young adult. She began to write poetry because of all the pain she had
suffer and all the hatred she had lived through. Maya Angelou did not only write poetry,
she wrote many different kinds of genres.
She published seven autobiographies, 3 books about essays and several books of
poetry. Although life may have been hard for her as an infant, Maya Angelou still
accomplished many things in life, as she got older because she refused to let all the bad
things in her life get the best of her. Maya Angelou was a poet, historian, songwriter,
playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer and civil rights
activist and civil rights movement. As a civil rights activist she was given the
opportunity to work with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both trying to put an
end to racism and discrimination. She has more than 50 honorary degrees. Maya
Angelou was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom that was given to her by
president Barack Obama on February 15, 2011. There are more than thirty health care
and medical facilities named after Maya Angelou. She has won 3 Grammy Awards and

was presented with the Mother Teresa Award and so many other awards, medals and
nominations, too much to mention. She served on two presidential committees, for
Gerald Ford and for Jimmy Carter. Maya Angelou has written many different poems in
the years that she has been a poet. She has written 28 poems in her career. Three of her
most famous poems are Pulse of the Morning, Still I Rise and Phenomenal
Woman. On the Pulse of Morning is important because it was read at Bill Clintons
ceremony to mark the beginning of his term in office (inauguration). Phenomenal
Woman is important because she tries to tell women how are great and valuable they
are. Still I Rise is about not letting what other people think get the best the best of you,
you have to rise above all the obstacles in life. Common themes in Maya Angelous
poetry were love, failure, forgiveness, family, friends, and freedom.




























4 famous poems by Maya Angelou

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise






Still I Rise analysis:

In Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, the narrator talks about discrimination,
sexism, slavery and all the bad and negative issues that she dealt with in her life.
I think that the narrator is trying to say that you shouldnt let what people think
bring you down or you shouldnt feel ashamed of being who you are no matter what you
have to rise above all your obstacles and all the negativity in your life.
Using the similes You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies,
you may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise and You may shoot me
with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness
but still, like air, I'll rise, the poet makes the reader feel her strength and willingness to
rise above everything negative in life.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
Im not cute or built to suit a fashion models size
But when I start to tell them,
They think Im telling lies.
I say,
Its in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
Im a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
Its the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
Im a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they cant touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still cant see.
I say,
Its in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
Im a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.
Now you understand
Just why my heads not bowed
I dont shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
Its in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need for my care
Cause Im a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.


Phenomenal Woman Analysis:

In Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou, the narrator talks about a strong,
confident woman who does not care about what people think of her and that all women
are beautiful and special in their own way.
I think the narrator is trying to say that women are beautiful in their own way and
that they shouldnt let what other people think about them mess with their confidence.
That they should be proud of who they are.
Using imagery Its in the arch of my back, the sun of my smile, the ride of my
breasts, the grace of my style and Its the fire in my eyes, and the flash of my teeth, the
swing in my waist, and the joy in my feet, the poet can describes the beauty that every
woman has.

Touched by an Angel

We, unaccustomed to courage
Exiles from delight
Live coiled in shells of loneliness
Until love leaves its high holy temple
And comes into our sight
To liberate us into life.

Love arrives
And in its train come ecstasies
Old memories of pleasure
Ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
Love strikes away the chains of fear
From our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
We dare be brave
And suddenly we see
That love costs all we are
And will ever be.
Yet it is only love
Which sets us free


Touched by an Angel Analysis:

In touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou, it talks about living in a shell of
loneliness but then you find the true love of your life and it is like god sent him just for
you.
I think the narrator is trying to say that when love comes to you and you feel like
you and someone are meant to be together you shouldnt be afraid to step outside of your
comfort zone.
Using imagery like Live coiled in shells of loneliness until love leaves its high
holy temple and comes into our sight and We are weaned from our timidity in the flush
of loves light we dare be brave, the poet can imagine what it is like to fall in love with
someone that you are meant to be with.





Alone

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone

Alone Analysis:

In Alone by Maya Angelou it talks about life and how you cant it own our own
that you should always have someone by your side.
I think that narrator is trying to say that you cannot live life by yourself you have
to have someone who can care for you

Using the descriptive imagery lying, thinking last night how to find my soul a
home where water is not thirsty and bread loaf is not stone and Storm clouds are
gathering the wind is going to blow the race of man is suffering and I can hear the moan,
the poet can learn that you should always have someone who cares for you by your side.

5 poems written by Isabella Pelaez

Alfie

Run and run around the house
Like a cat chasing a mouse
He likes to play
He likes to bite
With far too much might
He is my one and only dog
So BEWARE
I may hog!!!!
Why I chose this poem:

I have chosen the poem Alfie about my dog because he is very playful and loving.
A common theme in Maya Angelou s poetry was love and I love my dog Alfie and he
loves me. When he is home I cradle him in my arms like he is a baby. When we got him
on Christmas day when he was only 3 months old!

The Beach

The ice cold water touches me
I leap into the sand and can feel the
Warmth on my feet
The sun shimmering down
The water sparkles like the stars
What a beautiful place
And
What a wonderful sight
Why I chose this poem:

I have chosen the poem the The Beach because it was one of the first poems I wrote
and because when I go to the beach I always go with my mom and my two sisters. It is
away to have fun and relax with them. I also love the beach because it is a fun place to
go to in the summer.



Why Cant I do this!

I jump but I fall
I flip over and stick the landing
I go on the balance beam but fall after 1 step
Every one laughs every one points
Although the laughing and pointing may hurt
I must keep trying until I learn

Why I chose this poem:
I have chosen the poem why cant I do this because it shows that even when you
cant do something in life, you should never give up. You should keep on trying until you
get better. Remember, practice makes perfect.

Home

There is no place,
No place like home
Just no place
There are some people
Who dont love home
But believe me, there is no place like
My home!!

Why I chose this poem:

I have chosen the poem Home because after a long day at school or work, there is no
place that I would rather be then home. I like to be in a place where I feel comfortable
and safe and loved and home is just the place for that.

Softball

Cling the bat hits the ball
Run and run
Down to first
I try to beat the throw
The second I hit the bag
The ump says
SAFE!
I beat the throw
Yes!
The pitcher releases the ball
I charge to 2
nd
and she misses the ball I go to 3
rd

The coach waves me home
We won, We won!


Why I chose this poem:

I have chosen the poem softball because it is a sport that I am very passionate about.
It takes a lot of practice and is a team sport. You have to work with your teammates in
order to win. It is a sport that I love to watch and play. It is a sport that teaches me
discipline. It is a sport that I enjoy.





























Resources

www.poets.org
Mayaangelou.com/bio/
Maya Angelou.com
www.poetryfoundation.com
Famous poems and poets.org
Ncpedia.org
www.biography.com
www.achievement.org
En.wikipedia.org
www.poets.org
www.goodreads.com
www.history.com
www.poemhunters.com
http://www.ask.com/question/obstacles-maya-angelou-faced
http://www.brainpickings.org/
http://www.skoool.ie/examcentre_sc.asp?Id=4754
Worldhistoryproject.org

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