Lesson Topic 5: Maya Angelou

text annotation indicator A black and white portrait of Dr. Maya Angelou. She is an older dark-skinned woman. She wears an ornate cap on her head and large hoop earrings. Her hands are clasped in front of her neck. She wears many rings on her fingers and bracelets on her left wrist. She wears a dark top. Her expression is pensive as she glances toward her right. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.

Born on April 4, 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 absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture.

Her experiences with racial discrimination are reflected in many of her poems and stories. Read the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. Poetry is best enjoyed when it is read aloud. As you read, jot down examples of similes, metaphors, and personification on the Poetry Examples chart. When you understand how these poetic devices are used within a poem, you will appreciate the poem's message even more.

Review

Use the following self-assessments to help you review the material from this module.

Practice identifying simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, and assonance in the activity below. Select the exclamation point to reveal if the sentence or phrase is a simile or metaphor, or an example of personification, alliteration, or assonance.

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