![]() The poem echoes key points in Clinton's inaugural speech, especially that of America's need to own up to its violent history of. American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wrote and performed 'On the Pulse of Morning' for the presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton in January of 1993. “please,” “knees,” and “bees” (assonance, alliteration, and rhyme) - The long "e" vowel sound and the "z" consonant sound roll off the tongue and reflect the speaker's carefree nature. On the Pulse of Morning Summary & Analysis. Through her poetry, we saw Maya explore a plethora of themes which all related back to something. “lies” and “size” (assonance, alliteration, and rhyme) - The long "i" vowel sound in these two words as well as the "z" sound create a sassy tone. Maya is most famous for her poems and seven autobiographies. The speaker is like a snake charmer, charming the men. “hips” and “lips” (assonance, alliteration, and rhyme) - These rhyming words suggest sassiness and allure with the the short "i" vowel sound and the "ps" consonant sound at the end that sound like a snake's hiss. “smile” and “style” (assonance) - The long "i" vowel sound is very weighty here, giving power to the speaker. “It’s the fire in my eyes” (assonance) - The words "fire," "my," and "eyes" all contain long "i" vowel sounds that give weight to the words. “The sun of my smile” (alliteration) - The "s" consonant once again creates a pleasant tone, as the words roll off the tongue. “A hive of honey bees” (alliteration) - The "h" consonant has a breathy sound that mimics the appeal of the speaker. “The stride of my step” (alliteration) - The "s" consonant creates a happy tone, reflecting the speaker's joy. Similarly, the black America is stared in the face by unaccomplished dreams resulting from the denial of his basic rights.“Pretty women wonder where” (alliteration) - The "w" consonant is repeated heavily, creating a musical and somewhat breathy sound that mimics a woman's allure. Learn the author's background, read her poem, see the summary and analysis, and study the themes and poetic devices. “The caged bird” in the poem is impeded by “bars of rage”, “tied feet” and “clipped wings” from accomplishing his dreams and so he stands on “a grave of his dreams” troubled by “his shadow on a nightmare scream”. Explore Maya Angelou's ''Still I Rise'' meaning. The society is basically segmented this way with the white having the better things and the blacks being stuffed with the left-over.Īlso addressed in the poem is the issue of unfulfilled dreams. It has been so structured that there are schools for the black and schools for the white, jobs for the black and jobs for the white, neighbourhood for the black and neighbourhood for the white, restaurants for the black and restaurants for the white. There is strong racial discrimination within the rank and file of the America society. Depicting this with expressions like “bars of rage”, “tied feet” and “clipped wings”, the poet shows the plight of the discriminated ‘negro’. ![]() The poem pictures the discrimination of the blacks by the whites. ![]() These are basic rights every human being should enjoy and which the white Americans symbolised by “the free bird” enjoy.Īnother undercurrent issue in Caged Bird is discrimination. ![]() The black Americans are denied basic living conditions and rights: quality education, enabling environment, good jobs, right to vote among many others. Beyond the surface meaning, she contrasts the living conditions of both white and black Americans placing premium on the freedom of black Americans. Maya Angelou juxtaposes the two ideas using the “the free bird” and “the caged bird”.
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