Maya Angelou
Anyways, after doing some research (ahem, I mean going to her website), I was really amazed. A quote from her website states that:
"As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom."
Source: http://www.mayaangelou.com/
As I was saying, I was rather amazed at what she has accomplished (long biography).
I chose her because she was able to capture many aspects of life in her poems, which she hoped to use to- possibly- change the views of everyone. Some examples are below:
In "I know why the caged bird sings", with just the example of a simple bird, Dr. Maya Angelou managed to tell the readers of the pain of suffering. She compared the life of two birds, a trapped one and a free one, and showed us the difference in their lives. The poem spoke of a caged bird, singing for hope and a free bird, soaring the skies without a care. This can be applied to our lives, we compare the caged bird to students, and the free bird to graduates with nothing better to do.
The caged bird screams was heard from far away, they hear it crying to be freed. The free bird roams the skies, with nothing to restrict it the bird soon goes out of control.
It is how her poems can be compared to our own lives that made me choose her as a "favourite poet". Her poems can also be used to teach those who read it about pity, freedom and other aspects of life. She may possibly be hoping to change those around her.
From what I found out here, Dr. Maya Angelou has also worked with Martin Luther King Jr. at the height of the Civil Rights movement. I was rather amazed. This supports my thesis that Dr. Maya Angelou hopes to change people with her work, seeing that she has been part of a Civil Rights movement and that her poems had the ability to change the minds of some people- or maybe just me.
However, I do believe that reading a few more of her poems could change your mind, here's one that I particularly like- "Still I Rise". In this poem, she potrays a person with a "Never-Say-Die" attitude who rises up no matter what he/she faces.
Another poem I would suggest is "The Rocks Cries Out to Me Today". Its a poem that says many things, of change, of greed, of things gone. Its a rather long poem but definitely worth reading!
Here's interesting interview you may want to listen to.
I just hope you enjoy her poems as much as I did :)
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