The Poetry Pundits Racism - 1197 Words

The Poetry Pundits: Racism *Introductory Music * Hello all, welcome back to another episode of The Poetry Pundits. I’m your host Max Millis, and in today’s podcast I will be analysing two poems by acclaimed American poet, storyteller, activist, and autobiographer, Maya Angelou. Angelou spent most of her childhood in Arkansas, and as an African American, experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination at an early age. Angelou sadly passed in 2014; however she will forever be remembered as a prolific and widely-read poet, whose poetry was lauded for its influential depictions of black beauty, the strength of women, and the human spirit. In today’s podcast, the two poems I will be discussing remind us how deplorable and†¦show more content†¦Rumi described poetry as being dangerous, â€Å"especially beautiful poetry, because it gives the illusion of having had the experience without actually going through it.† I for one can certainly grasp this concept. Poetry I enjoy tends to be about a different world than mine. However, if I close my eyes I can see the story unfolding before me. Perhaps the characteristic most fundamental to the meaning of poetry is its unwillingness to be defined, labelled, or nailed down. This is what makes Maya Angelou’s poetry so effective. Her work challenged the status quo and improved the human condition of all people. She fought for equality and for humanity. In her body of work, we see the plights and triumphs of marginalized people. Angelou, like many other poets, used words to tell her story of struggle, and allowed the readers to experience her people’s pain. Alright, I’ll stop teasing you now. Let’s take a look at our first of Angelou’s masterpieces – â€Å"Equality†. *Recording of Poem* Throughout this poem, themes of equality, freedom, and racism are conveyed through repetition and poetic techniques. It is evident that this poem is directly correlated to race, the history of race, and racism in America. The second line, â€Å"through a glass that will not shine†, is a metaphor illustrating that she isn’t being seen accurately and that they aren’t being given the chance to show their full potential. The line â€Å"while my drums beat out the message and the rhythms never change† evokes