Maya Angelou is an author and poet who became famous for her emotion-filled novels and her deep, heartfelt poetry. His novels focus primarily on his life and humanity, with particular emphasis on his ideas about what it means to live. The way she uses many different styles to grab and hold readers' attention through something as simple as an autobiography is astounding. This mastery of the English language and the grace with which she writes makes for an enjoyable reading experience. Her style is particularly prominent in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", where the early events of Angelou's life are vividly described to the reader in a postmodern literary style. In order to understand the works of Maya Angelou, one must first understand the postmodern era. period. Postmodernism began in the early 1940s and continues to the present day. One of the main characteristics of this period is the analysis of human nature (postmodernism of the 1940s). According to the Public Broadcasting Service, “French theorist Jean-François Lyotard succinctly defined postmodernism as [. . . ] a skepticism toward “grand narratives” that seek to explain and trace human life and history” (1940s postmodernism). Along with this, postmodern writing focuses on problems arising in the present rather than seeking answers to in-depth and large-scale ideas. By staying focused on current issues, the new knowledge that emerges is not acquired by simply knowing it, it is acquired by applying it (Klages). Another important characteristic of postmodern literature is the mixture of styles. Many literary styles such as “[. . . ] tone, point of view, register and logical sequence; seemingly random unexpected intrusions and [ . . ...... middle of paper ......ya_angelou/poems/498>.Metzger, Sheri E. Critical essay on "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." 2001. CengageLearning. March 22, 2010 Web.Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. FamousPoetsandPoems.com. March 22, 2010 Web. .Scott, Edurne. Understanding post-modernism. March 30, 2009. Suite 101. March 22, 2010 Web.Smith, Sidonie Ann. The song of a caged bird: Maya Angelou's quest for self-acceptance. 1997. Cengage Learning. March 22, 2010 Web.Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. FamousPoetsandPoems.com. March 22, 2010 Web. .Touched by an Angel by Maya Angelou. FamousPoetsandPoems.com. March 22, 2010 Web. .Current Postmodernism in the 1940s. March 2007. Public Broadcasting Service. March 22, 2010 Web.