Maya Angelou1
In 1993, when Bill Clinton decided to invite a poet to read at his first inauguration ceremony – for the first time since John F. Kennedy invited Robert Frost in 1961 – he chose fellow Arkansas native Maya Angelou to write a poem celebrating the new beginning of his first presidency. The panoramic piece that Angelou composed, “On the Pulse of Morning,” reached millions of television viewers. Its popularity proved so great that it was published as a cassette and chapbook in 1993(Anderson 4). The work was distributed to schools, libraries, cultural centers, and bookstores nationwide (Shiflet 8). Appropriate for what Clinton promised would be a new era in American history, “On the Pulse of Morning” is a radiant piece that offers hope for the future by using good points of the past (Bloom 34). Angelou writes the poem using three objects of nature, “A Rock, A River, A Tree (Angelou 1), from which point she searches the distant past to provide answers for the present as well as advice for America’s future. Drawing different races, cultures, and religions together, the poem invites all of humankind to return to the foundations that made the country great, including basic values
Bloom, Lynn. Afro-American Writers after 1955. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1985. The critical analysis of “On the Pulse of Morning is incomplete. Because “On the Pulse of Morning” is a poem written specifically to celebrate Clinton’s 1993 inauguration, it entered the public’s awareness having virtually bypassed the normal gauntlet of criticism that follows most poetry publications (Hagen 4). “On the Pulse of Morning” has many themes, a unique style, and an interesting historical context. Maya Angelou has her own way of writing. Her work is unlike everyone elses. She words her poems differently and each of her writings has a specific meaning to them. Some people may think that Maya Angelou is one of the best African American writers to ever be born (Bloom 198). Angelo, Maya. The Heart of a Woman. New York:Bantam, 1981. Perhaps Angelou’s reputation preceded her, guaranteeing the poem’s effectiveness; she is the author of over thirteen novels, autobiographies, and poetry collections (Shiflet 113). For many she is considered one of the most powerful voices of contemporary literature (Hagen 11). Some critics point to her varied careers in the arts to emphasize her driving spirit (Hagen 12). Bloom noted that Angelou “is forever impelled by the restlessness for change and new realms to conquer.” This hunger for change is common in much of Angelou’s work, along with as Gloria Hull stated in Belles Letters, the theme of “human oneness in diversity, the strength of blacks in the face of racism and adversity.”
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2511
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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