Revisiting Maya Angelou’s Poetry: Rediscovering Identity and Self Acceptance

Abstract

This study revisits Maya Angelou's poetry to scrutinize identity and self-acceptance. This paper explores black female identity, woman empowerment and self-worth through the lens of black feminism and intersectionality. Maya Angelou becomes the marginalized voice for her black community to dismantle stereotypes. Through her writing, she uses her powerful voice for her black people. Women are more repressed and isolated from the patriarchal society. In her poetry she represented gender, inequality, racism, and raised her voice against injustice and societal norms. By capturing Angelou's journey towards self-love and individuality, this paper shows how it becomes personal to universal journey and celebrates individuality, selfconsciousness, self-confidence and dignity. In American society black women are extremely exploited. Maya concerns those who still struggle for their identity and self-discovery. This paper highlights how to break traditional narratives about black women, gender and race. It also shows how Angelou unveiled herself through her writings by proudly accepting herself as a black American woman with her resilience. Angelou's poetry “Caged Bird”, “Equality”, “Woman Work”, "Still I Rise”, and “Phenomenal Woman”- explores the way to get rid of racism, exploitation, identical crises and rise with audacity. Through her poetry she wants to convey her life experience, as a result, her poetry intertwined with her personal life. In this paper I will show how Angelou’s poetry revisits personal empowerment and rediscovers the self-essence, inner voice, path to individuality.