Maya Angelou Essay, Research Paper

Collective Soul and Maya Angelou

Collective Soul, a 90?s based rock band, and the famously known poet Maya Angelou, have a statement to make on their thoughts and feelings. They are expressed in two different forms of poetry. Maya Angelou express them in contemporary poetry, while the rock group Collective Soul adds rhythm and a impressive beat to their lyrics. Both of these forms of poetry are very strong at getting their point across to their audience that is very attracted to their work. Both Maya Angelou and Collective Soul share the hardships and oppression that has been bestowed upon their life?s, and other human beings. Maya Angelou?s poem Still I Rise and Collective Soul?s song December, show the effects on an individual through positive and negative means of expression.

Maya Angelou and Collective Soul?s poetry are similar in some ways when broken down correctly. Collective Soul writes " why drink the water from my hand? Contagious as you think I am" reflects the same ideas that Maya Angelou shares when She says, "Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom" These two parts of their writings are asking a similar question. Why do you choose to seclude me from you?re world am I something you wouldn?t expect from another human? "Don?t scream about don?t think aloud turn your head now baby just spit me out don?t worry about don?t speak of doubt turn your head now baby just spit me out." This is a complex way saying why is you disrespected me because you can?t stand the way that I am. Just walk all over me treat me different act as if I?m a piece of crap. What good does it do for you by bringing me down?

I think this is the question Collective soul is asking the person or group of people who are setting out to bring him down. Maya Angelou asks a similar question when she writes, "Does my haughtiness offend you?" "Don?t you take it awful hard cause I laugh like I?ve got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs." This question is being asked to her opponent that chooses to treat her differently just like what collective Soul is asking in their song. In my opinion they are asking their enemies, why do you do this to me? What have I done to make you so awful mad, that you go out of your way to bring me down?

These poets are not all alike in what their messages are trying to say to their readers and listeners. They change directions from asking their opposers the why question to there outcome of what is going to come of it. An example of Maya Angelou?s positive opinion is stated when she writes "you may write me down in history with you?re bitter twisted lies, you may trod me In the very dirt, but still like dust ill rise." This is saying that you can say whatever the heck you want but you know what? I don?t care I?ll get over it I?ll continue on with my life even though you choose to try to disgrace me for a reason that shouldn?t even exist in our society. Maya Angelou shows that she is a strong enough woman that when this problem is faced in her life she can take what is thrown at her and asks for more. Then Collective Soul writes about the negative things that will happen when Collective Soul writes "December promise you gave unto me, December whispers of treachery. December clouds are now covering me. December songs no longer I sing." Collective Soul is saying you?ve given me nothing but coldness and pain. You reek havoc upon my life. " December songs no longer I sing," Is stating that you are killing me because of you?re hatefulness towards me. Its finally getting to me and now you have pushed me to far and its killing me I cant handle your mission to destroy my life for the benefit of yours.

Maya Angelou and Collective Soul have written two different forms of poetry that have both touched me on a view on what effects oppression has on them and is asking a moral question to the person who decides to treat them differently. Both Maya Angelou and Collective Soul have different outcomes of what will happen to them in their life. Maya Angelou has had a bad name in her past, her ancestors were bought as slaves and points this out to the reader. Someday she will get what all the others in her past have strived for the change to be considered an equal among a pessimistic society. But instead of concentrating on the bad things she is writes that she will have a positive outcome and not give in like so many others. Collective Soul writes his problem in a negative way. He states that I have taken all I can and finally take the worse is happing to me. I have reached the end of my rope. The coldness that is put on them is striving them to just give into what there mind is saying is the only way out and that is death. Even though their endings of their poems are completely different their problems originate from the same problem and that is oppression and unconceivable hatefulness. To me this problem has been faced by many generations before me. It will never actually completely go away but you can meet it head on and deal with it in the best way you can.