Exploring the Theme of Self-Actualization in Maya Angelou’s Poetry
2014; Canadian Center of Science and Education; Volume: 4; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.5539/ells.v4n3p65
ISSN1925-4776
Autores Tópico(s)Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies
ResumoMaya Angelou (1928-2014), an African American memoirist and poet, is best known for her autobiographicnovel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her long poem “On the Pulse of Morning” which she was invitedto read at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993. As a contemporary black female writer, shedistinguishes herself by infusing her art with consistent cultural consciousness, personal and cultural experience.Her poetry reveals themes of survival, development and self-discovery of African Americans. Knowing thedestructive effects the hegemonic culture—White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) culture has exerted onAfrican Americans, Angelou deeply feels the need to undermine the binary opposition of the dominant andsubaltern cultures and reconstruct the cultural order. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the theme ofself-actualization of African Americans in her poetry. By redefining blackness and eulogizing the self-acceptedblack people, Angelou encourages African Americans to inherit their African cultural heritage and affirm theirblack identity. It concludes that her work manages to awaken African American’s self-consciousness byencouraging them to preserve and celebrate their black culture.
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