The two poems ‘’No problem’’ and ‘’Still I Rise’’ talks about how the racial abuse they get because of slavery. Both poets deliver a message about how proud of there image and the culture. I am going to start off talking about Angelou’s “Still I Rise”. ‘’Still I Rise’’ have a stronger view and more intensive as it is about the hardships that African Americans faced and how even thought they were abused and tossed aside, they rose from the ground they was thrown to. The language she used tells that she has a positive attitude and with using Standard English and not only for her but she tells on behalf of all black women’s.
Born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Angelou was raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also had an unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture (Biography.com). The loss of her Close friend Martin Luther King Jr. on her 40 th. Birthday was devastating, and life changing and it affected the way she wrote which is reflected in the poem “Phenomenal Woman” is an inspirational piece of poetry that provides her readers the ability to sense her self-confidence and self -awareness. Angelou's poems celebrate black people, men and women; at the same time, they bear witness to the trials of black people in this country.
Billie Holiday has lived a full life. She faced hardships and troubles but managed to captivate an audience by translating her memories of her life into music. “Look into my eyes” (Jackson, 91) requests the narrator to Billie. From this beginning line of the poem Billie begins to speak to the audience and sing. Billie, however, does not make eye contact.
Rather, this further testifies to the subconscious association the woman had made throughout her life between bravery or fearlessness and the color black. In general, I enjoyed the story and thought that it spoke to many true human emotions. Not only did it focus on subconscious understandings of race and color, it also made profound statements regarding perseverance, faith, love, and commitment. Furthermore, it accurately demonstrated the plight of some African Americans, who were (and in some cases still are) distinguished and discriminated against due to their race. It also speaks to the harsh reality of
Angelou uses many different poetic devices to emphasize her thoughts and feelings. The literary devices used in this poem express the fact that you can overcome anything that life throws at you. Maya Angelou narrates the poem while talking to her opposer which she refers to as “you.” She displays her confidence throughout the reading and says how “you” can try to bring her down and say all of these degrading things but she will still continue to succeed and rise above it. She breaks all of the stereotypes as an African American woman and calls her opposition out, basically saying if they do not like it they can get over it. The theme of conflict is found in Maya Angelou’s famous poem.
Black women have a different set of concerns than do many other women and their push for equality uses rap as a way to achieve this. Rose argues a predominate theme presented by these black female rappers is the importance of redefining heterosexual relationships and the way men and women interact. There is also the importance of the strength of the black female voice. In rap music women have always played an essential role. They are often the subjects of the material presented in the song.
Noor Ghreiwati Alice Walker Alice Walker is truly one of the prominent female writers that always succeed at leaving the readers with a sense of awe. Her essays are rarely forgotten as they possess a strong image difficult to leave one's memory. Walker's overall purpose in her writing is to reveal how much suffering African American women endured and how they always overcame the obstacles; she reveals this purpose with narration. Some of her most known pieces of writing are "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens," "The Color Purple," "Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self," and "Everyday use." Throughout every piece of writing, one could easily view Walker's perspective on ideas, her way with words, her stylistic tendencies, her intellectual stance, and her emotional temper.
The selected slaves would proudly sing songs and chants to demonstrate their enthusiasm as they traveled to the Great House Farm. As Douglass relived his slave memories, he realized that the songs sung by the slaves as they walked towards the Great House Farm did not reveal their sense of eagerness, but instead released all their suffering and pain caused by slavery. Douglass, through repetition and personification, states “They [the songs] told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over the bitterest anguish.” (4). The author explains that the songs in a depressing and deep tone representing their sadness of being enslaved opposed to being a freed man. Douglass very artistically states how the song’s true meaning was beyond its literal content, and actually contradicts his previous thought that the songs showed a sense of happiness from the slaves.
The music that was played was important to the church and church people it always caused the church people to become excited for the Lord. In the book, The Black Church in the African American Experience, Lawrence H. Mamiya states “…in most black churches singing is second only to preaching as the magnet of attraction and the primary vehicle of spiritual transport for the worshiping congregation.” What’s important about the music is the message behind each song that is sung in the churches. The lyrics have meaning in which people can express themselves and really worship God. In the mid 1900’s during the civil rights movement, black churches would sing about freedom. Music and singing played a critical role in inspiring, mobilizing, and giving voice to the civil rights movement.
Sexism, Womanism, sexuality and male dominance in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and By the Light of My Father’s Smile Alice walker-a renowned novelist, short story writer, essayist, poet, critic, and author of children’s books-sees the corruption in the world and writes to portray the struggles that African American women encounter. The snags that they have in everyday society are largely copious, however, Alice Walker does wonders writing specifically about racism and sexism. In two of her famous novels, The Color Purple and By the Light of my Father’s Smile, she addresses these two matters along with other topics stemming from them. The most prevalent themes in Alice Walker’s novels, The Color Purple and By the Light in my Father’s Smile are sexism and male dominance; celebrating a person’s sexuality, Womanism, and how the male persona shapes a female’s life. What most people would consider feminism, the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men, Alice Walker elaborates and turns into Womanism.