Woman Work Summary by Maya Angelou<
August 27, 2014 by Website Contributors
Woman Work Summary by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) is an African-American woman poet. Her poetry most often deals with women of her own community. ‘Woman Work’ is such a poem. It describes the plight of a single mother, who must take care of her household all by herself, with no support from anybody. ‘Woman Work’ was first published in the… Continue reading Woman Work Summary by Maya Angelou

Touched by an Angel Analysis by Maya Angelou<
August 27, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Touched by an Angel Analysis by Maya Angelou

‘Touched by an Angel’ has no set rhyme scheme, but is written in rhythmically-flowing free verse. What are noticeable in the poem are the multiple end rhymes, such as “delight” and “sight” in the second and fifth lines, or “see”, “be”, and “free” in the seventeenth, nineteenth, and twenty-first lines. Throughout the poem, Angelou uses… Continue reading Touched by an Angel Analysis by Maya Angelou

Touched by an Angel Summary by Maya Angelou<
August 27, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Touched by an Angel Summary by Maya Angelou

‘Touched by An Angel’ consists of three stanzas. The first stanza contains six lines, and therefore, it is a sestet. The second stanza contains an extra line, bringing the total to seven, and is therefore a septet. The third and final stanza similarly adds another extra line, bringing the total to eight, and is therefore… Continue reading Touched by an Angel Summary by Maya Angelou

Still I Rise Analysis by Maya Angelou<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Still I Rise Analysis by Maya Angelou

‘Still I Rise’ is a typical Maya Angelou poem in terms of its subject matter, but what really sets it apart is the kind of visual stimulation it provides to readers. We shall find evidence of this time and time again in our analysis of the poem. The first seven stanzas of the poem show… Continue reading Still I Rise Analysis by Maya Angelou

Still I Rise Summary by Maya Angelou<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Still I Rise Summary by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) is an African-American woman poet. Her poetry thus addresses two kinds of oppression – both racial oppression, and sexism. A contemporary of Angelou’s named Zora Neale Hurston has said that the black woman is the mule of the world, bearing all the disrespect imaginable on her own feeble shoulders. In ‘Still I… Continue reading Still I Rise Summary by Maya Angelou

Momma Welfare Roll Summary by Maya Angelou<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Momma Welfare Roll Summary by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou (1928-2014), an African-American woman poet, writes passionately about the experiences of women of her own community. While often focusing on the story of one particular African-American woman, Angelou makes it clear that the story is not, in fact, the story of an individual, but of many like that woman who live in despair… Continue reading Momma Welfare Roll Summary by Maya Angelou

Momma Welfare Roll Analysis by Maya Angelou<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Momma Welfare Roll Analysis by Maya Angelou

‘Momma Welfare Roll’ has no identifiable rhyme scheme in either of the two stanzas that it is composed of. Instead, the poem is written in free verse with the lines flowing from one to the next in a stream of passion. Hence, no shortcomings in poetic craft are perceived by the reader. Angelou here speaks… Continue reading Momma Welfare Roll Analysis by Maya Angelou

Let America Be America Again Analysis by Langston Hughes<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Let America Be America Again Analysis by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is one of the best-known exponents of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement shaped by African-Americans in the 1920s. The Harlem Renaissance increased community visibility, and aimed at greater acceptance of the rights of African-Americans, who till then had been treated as second class citizens by the dominant white, upper class, male… Continue reading Let America Be America Again Analysis by Langston Hughes

Let America Be America Again Summary by Langston Hughes<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
Let America Be America Again Summary by Langston Hughes

In this poem, Hughes says that America, which was supposed to stand for democracy and equality, no longer embodies such values. Parallely, a voice in the poem speaks in an aside saying that the American Dream was never a plausible reality for him. This, says Hughes, is the voice of all disenfranchised citizens of the… Continue reading Let America Be America Again Summary by Langston Hughes

In Time of Silver Rain Analysis by Langston Hughes<
August 26, 2014 by Shreya Bardhan
In Time of Silver Rain Analysis by Langston Hughes

‘In Time of Silver Rain’ was included in the 1947 collection of Langston Hughes’s poetry entitled Fields of Wonder. The word “wonder” in the title of this poetry collection is echoed in the last line of the first stanza of ‘In Time of Silver Rain’. The poem itself does not have a definite rhyme scheme.… Continue reading In Time of Silver Rain Analysis by Langston Hughes