blog
media download page
Essay / "One cannot discuss Maya Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning" without providing proper context regarding the context in which it was created. The poem's first appearance was in January 1993 at Bill Clinton's initial inauguration as president. It was the beginning of a new era for America; a new president, new goals, a new period of peace, a new hope. The topic Angelou developed throughout the poem was aligned with Clinton's inaugural address. , creating an even greater sense of harmony for the American people. With this work, Maya Angelou became the first woman – and therefore the first black woman – to speak at such an event, carving out a special place for her among the greatest poets. of the last century.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get an original essay A range of themes are addressed as the poem progresses, although there is an underlying thrill of hope for the future in every stanza. The idea of alliance across our differences is emphasized when Angelou tells us that those of all faiths have come together to hear the Tree share its wisdom, and when he insists that this depends on all humans, men , women and children. , to accept the challenge of transforming America's state of disrepair into a country they can proudly support. We also notice this when the river, the rock and the tree claim that they will be there for everyone; old people, young people, rich or poor. The theme of the impossibility of erasing history is seen as the story of how dinosaurs left all kinds of marks on Earth that cannot be changed, when the dark subjects of slavery and the annihilation of Native Americans by the settlers are mentioned, and when Angelou states the importance of remembering the difficulties of the past to succeed in the here and now. Greed and its ability to weaken humanity are mentioned several times. At one point, the river explains how the result of man-made industry has spread hazardous waste all along its shoreline. The exploitation of Native American slave labor in the search for gold is also mentioned. Another theme I found in several places was that of division. The River is wise on this subject and relates that each man acting as a nation with closed borders leaves no room for the possibility of working together to fight for the better, nor does it give way to peace. The river later refers to a more innocent time when man's best insight was to recognize that he knows nothing, and that we have now entered an age where man knows – at least – something, and because of this, he became proud and cynical. towards concepts such as peace and unity. Considering the time and context in which the poem was written, these themes gave great depth to the poem. America, in the 1990s, was a nation committed to promoting positive relations among the plethora of ethnicities represented here. When it comes to literary devices, Angelou primarily uses personification; the act of giving a non-living being a set of human traits. In the poem it is easy to see how the river, the rock and the tree are brought together in this concept; each of them given a voice to share their memories of past eras, their human emotions highlighted as they express a sense of sadness and hope for what humanity has, can and will do. These objects propose to help humans in their work to return to a more peaceful time, to help us all work together in harmony.
Navigation
« Prev
1
2
3
4
5
Next »
Get In Touch