Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 1
COM4190 FINAL PROJECT PORTFOLIO
DR. MIXON TO: ASHLEY RAMIREZ FROM: MAYA ANGELOU’S INAUGURAL POEM: A RHETORICAL PERSPECTIVE SUBJECT:
COMMENTARY:
Dr. Mixon suggested in her feedback that I should refocus my introduction. It was missing the key component of adding literature reviews of what others historically, have had to said about “On the Pulse of Morning”. In my revision, I add commentary on Lupton and others’ criticism of possible plagiarism on the behalf of Angelou. I also made the suggested changes of reformatting subtitles and minor errors. Finally, I made sure to create more a transparent introduction and thesis for the final paper.
Best, Ashley Ramirez
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 2
Introduction Maya Angelou’s purpose in delivering the “On the Pulse of Morning” poem was to address the American people at President Clinton’s first inaugural ceremony, by convincing them to retrospectively look at the murky history of the United States, while projecting hope for the future. The thesis of the poem was to exemplify atrocities of the past, while utilizing it to forecast a brighter ensuing outcome. An awakening of hope is a broad subject, but Angelou narrowed topic by directing her message to address the American people. The desired response of the rhetor (Angelou) is to get the audience to not shy away from the negative that has previously taken place in America, but to employ it to advocate a charge for change (Armenti,
2017).
A criticism originally published in a 1998 book by Mary Lupton suggests that Angelou plagiarized her poem, but this Lupton’s argument is arguably grounded in a statement made earlier by a friend of Angelou. Because she chose to address issues utilizing parallelism from
Robert Frost’s 1961 inaugural poem, Lupton’s claim of poetic poaching was given critical ground. The accusation of plagiarism came about when Robert J. Brown, founding member of
NCOBS and friend of Angelou was quoted in a publication by Harper:
"All poets drink from the same spring." The fact that Professor Angelou lives in
North Carolina first suggested to me that she might have had occasion to see "Outward
Bound," which has been framed and hangs in the homes or offices of many North
Carolina Outward Bound Society trustees and friends, one of whom might have provided
her an opportunity to read it. Indeed, it now appears that Professor Angelou wrote "On
the Pulse of Morning" in the presence of Robert Brown, a founding trustee of the
NCOBS” (Harper, 1994).
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 3
Brown responded that he was positive Angelou's poem was "original," because he had
"sat nearby" while she composed it. Brown mentioned that the accusation of plagiarism was
"very wrong" to suggest that Angelou "may have been inspired by your poem and possibly plagiarized it" (Harper, 1994).
Poetry is derivative and often unoriginal. Since the epic poems of Homer, participles of poetry have been used in rhetoric to be composed, recited, and encapsulated for future generations to transform subjective purpose into a universal caveat. I will be using the narrative criticism lens to analyze “On the Pulse of Morning” to put to rest accusations of plagiarism. This will be done by presenting evidence of Angelou’s intense methodology in using symbols that was not only inspired by others’ literary works but was also framed surrounding similarities between herself and President Clinton.
By presenting a textual and contextual analysis of the poem, I will outline the structured discourse, chronological, topical, and logical developments that were used to reinforce the importance of the symbolisms of the associative relationships in Angelou’s narrative as it pertains to President Clinton and the evolution of the poem. The narrative criticism argument will be presented by highlighting the formative years of the dramatis personae: President Clinton,
President Kennedy, and Angelou; unveiling more anomalous similarities between Clinton
President Kennedy in relation to Angelou’s inspiration from Robert Frost, and finally, by emphasizing rhetorical symbols in the poem that are specific to Angelou and President Clinton.
The evidence of my argument will show that plagiarism within the poem “On the Pulse of
Morning” was a byproduct of a ubiquitous experience.
Textual Analysis
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 4
Angelou inaugurated her poem by first addressing her audience, “Mr. President and Mrs.
Clinton, Mr. Vice President and Mrs. Gore and Americans everywhere.” In 1993, Clinton became the 42nd president of the United States, making him perhaps, the most powerful man in the world. Angelou’s poem was a charge directed towards the President and his administration to participate in the anticipation of the hope that a new day can bring. To do this, Angelou cautioned that the audience must start by regarding the negative events of the past that are often overlooked, or altogether hidden.
Background
1. The Clinton Administration
The relevant agent of change was the audience. President Clinton, his administration and the American people were a collective composed of individuals with the political power to appropriately address and divulge America’s dark past. President Clinton had the executive power to no longer remain ignorant to America’s past. His wife, Hilary Clinton was also in position to effectively amend the past under her husband’s administration. The greater audience, the American people, played an instrumental part in the pending participation of facing the past to dawn a new day (Armenti, 1993).
To transform the audience into agents of change, Angelou purposed the wielding of the symbols A Rock, a River, a Tree. She first emerged the Rock, “But today the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully. You may come stand upon my back and face your distant destiny.” Angelou used the personification of the Rock to show, while ever-present, the Rock is there to support looking forward to what is to come. “But seek no haven in my shadow” is the Rock cautioning
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 5
the agents of change to not misuse its functional purpose to hide from America’s dark history.
Angelou’s usage of symbolism is her tool to transform the audience into agents of change.
2. Maya Angelou
In 1993, Angelou assumed the role of a highly revered American poet, civil rights activists, singer, and memoirist. Her highly regarded resume maximized her ability to communicate the message of unified civil and global reconciliation of the United Stated.
Angelou’s tone was foreboding. The lines “But seek no haven in my shadows” and “I will give you no hiding place here” is Angelou’s way of letting the audience know that the function of the rock is not for hiding the past. Her attitude towards American’s dark past is unapologetic, but expository. The lines “You, created only a little lower than the angels, have crouched too long in the bruising darkness, have lain too long, facedown in ignorance...” showed Angelou’s uncovered and unguarded attitude toward the ignorance that was morbidly and indelibly etched in the shadows of America’s past. Angelou followed with, “The Rock cries out to us today, you may stand upon me, but do not hide your face,” which displayed her vantage of acceptance toward the audience, under the confrontational condition that they do not shy away from the behavior of the past.
Angelou’s background afforded her the right to address the audience, not as a subordinate, but as an authority figure. She experienced not only living during what was considered for many African Americans a historical period of gloom, but also paralleled as a young child living in rural Arkansas. President Clinton, also from rural Arkansas, was not
African American, but represented an impoverished, single parent, social group relative to
Angelou’s personal life experience. Angelou’s commonality with President Clinton allowed her
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 6
to address him and the greater audience in a way that revealed the disparities that most non- affluent social groups share. Even, people who were affluent could reflect on instances where they did not have the upper hand.
1. Structured Discourse
The personification of the symbols A rock, a river a tree aids in structuring the discourse.
These symbols clearly outline the structure of the poem, by introducing them with a personified voice. Angelou’s selection of the Rock’s narrative topic highlighting America’s objectionable archive reveals her methodology for addressing the audience with a voice that has persisted through time. People are mortal but introducing the voice of the Rock as an ever-present figure, further emphasized Angelou’s message through a voice who has witnessed more history than any human could within their lifetime. Her ability to give the symbols A rock, a river, a tree vocalization reinforced the validity of her relationship with the audience, because the audience also included herself.
2. Chronological Development
Angelou availing of A rock, a river, a tree as symbols, also had the secondary function of giving the objects, now characters an effervescent presence. This was vital in establishing the personification of The Rock, River and Tree as continuously throughout time and history. The line “Marked the mastodon” illustrated the prehistoric presence of the symbols. Toward the end of the poem Angelou referenced the prehistoric presence of the mastodon in the present, “No less to you now then the mastodon then” (Angelou, 1993).
3. Topical Development
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The rhetorical development of Angelou focused on the themes of hope, diversity, and change, through the utilization symbol imagery. The functional reinforcement of these symbols spotlighted in contrast. Throughout the poem, Angelou addressed different races, “You, the
Turk, the Arab, the Swede, the German, the Eskimo, the Scot,” then she united the races by the social injustices that linked them “Sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmare, praying for a dream” with the same struggle of enslavement, and a shared wish for hope (Angelou, 1994).
4. Logical Development
Angelou logically aligned the narrative of the poem to address the new administration with a call to action for change. She strategically outlined and addressed the issues of American past and future. In the poem, Angelou demonstrated the effects of America’s ruinous history. She logically illustrated the effects of reliving the past in the line “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage. The selection of words, “Need not be lived again,” indicated her solution to not just allow the mistakes of the past to simply looked past despite its painfulness and not repeat it.
To conclude the poem Angelou wrote, “The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change. Here, on the pulse of this fine day," which was a clear illustration of how a new day proposes hope for change. “To look up and out and upon me, the Rock, the
River, the Tree, your country. No less to Midas than the mendicant. No less to you now than the mastodon then. Here on the pulse of this new day” was Angelou utilizing the symbolic constants within the poem to summarize and bring closure. She concluded with “Your brother's face, your country, and say simply, very simply, with hope, Good morning” (Angelou, 1993). The usage of the greeting “Good morning” at the end of the poem, was Angelou’s way of emphasizing that the
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 8
inauguration of President Clinton and his administration presented a new day for American’s and people across the world, have hope and simply greet one another—on the dawn of a new day
(Rochon, p.78).
Relationships
1. Audience
The relationships Angelou assembled within the poem were between the rhetor, the audience, the voice of nature (which had the ability to witness the chronological changes of the world) and the past itself. In the line “Your armed struggles for profit, have left collars of waste upon, my shore, currents of debris upon my breast,” Angelou accompanied the call to action from the voice of nature toward the audience. The relationship between the rhetor, nature, and the audience has been established throughout history. This relational past allowed Angelou, the rhetor and nature to appeal to the audience with, “Yet, today I call you to my riverside, if you will study war no more. Come.” This line was a re-exclamation to the audience to stop practicing war and to receive the reciprocally positive effects of accepting nature’s embrace.
2. Symbolic Themes
The poem’s transitions between introducing The Rock, the River, the Tree reinforced the themes of the poem by exposing the audience and those symbols’ narratives. Those symbols have been hosts to civilization. “The Rock, cries. The River, sings. The Tree,” speaks to humankind. This embodiment transitionally constructed the internal ideas of Angelou’s message.
3. Inter-Cultural
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Angelou used the evidence of the past to support her message. While she did not use exact instances, she named diverse groups of people who shared experience of historically facing oppression. She uttered salutations to the Native America Pawnee, Apache, Seneca and
Cherokee nations with “you... who rested with me, then, forced on bloody feet, left me to the employment of, other seekers--desperate for gain, starving for gold” (Angelou, 1993). Angelou’s evidence was supported with her reference to the history of the effects of colonization on the
Native Americans. The words blooding feet was a nod to their historical journey “Trail of
Tears,” an event in American history when President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian
Removal act, which resulted in the domicile displacement of over 20,000 Cherokee natives in
Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, leaving thousands to die of disease and starvation (Dippel, p.2141).
The line “So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew. The African and Native American, the
Sioux,” supported Angelou’s message with monumental evidence of universal suffering that has occurred within diverse ethnic groups. The Tree’s call for unification amongst all people and faiths is symbolic of the line “arriving on a nightmare, praying for a dream.” The usage of the
Tree as a symbol represents a foundation and place of refuge that all the groups Angelou addressed have experienced or witnessed in being uprooted, “Root yourselves beside me.” The term Roots is representative of a family tree which perpetuates the themes of the ever-present nature and history engrained in all of society.
While the incorporation of evidence was supported in Angelou’s utilization of the Tree, she continued to concretely express authoritative evidence by naming numerous groups, which showed the frequency in the societal archive of both American and the entire world. With the
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 10
mention of each individual group of oppressed people, Angelou solidified her proof of shared universal oppression while broadening the scope of dark history’s comprehensive effects.
The complete poem is an analogy. The combination of world race, religion, and politics along with the imagery Angelou used with the analogy of the Mastodon, was pivotal in explaining the outdated less-progressive ideologies of the past. The use of winding river was an analogical way to describe the fluidity of reformist ideology. “No less to Midas than the mendicant,” was a metaphorical reference to the Phrygian king in Greek mythology, who could turn anything he touched into gold, contrasting alongside a mendicant, a person who is forced take a vow of poverty. Contrasting Midas with the mendicant, shows that they are not different, so much as they are same. Midas and the mendicant are similar in the pursuit of means but differ in the principalities of acquisition of means (Roller, p. 299). The line “No less to you now than the mastodon then,” illustrated the symbolic analogy of the Mastodon by concluding the poem with a circulatory structure (Angelou, 1993).
Contextual Analysis
Angelou strategically utilized the occasion of President Clinton’s first inauguration to capture a relevant audience by using imagery, language, and tone to illustrate the argument that indifference toward the past was the very thing holding American’s back from withstanding progress (NBCUniversal, 2015). Angelou was known to be theatrically stylistic as a rhetor.
Angelou’s critic, Lupton, described her poetic performance as, “theatrical” citing her background in performing arts as an actor and speaker being stylistically reminiscent of rhetors like Frederick
Douglas, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X (Lupton, p. 257).
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Angelou’s rhetorical background in African American oral tradition added to her poetic poise. The frequent terms, Dream and the Rock have often been used in African American oral tradition (Fox-Genovese, p. 221). Measuring the pauses in Angelou’s speech is also a significant point of analysis. While the poem was brief, the frequency of pauses Angelou used allowed the audience to thoroughly grasp what she was saying, while simultaneously being able to digest the underlining themes. When Angelou pronounced “The Rock, the River, the Tree,” her cadence of intentional pauses, not only elongated the poem, but made it easier to reinforce in the minds of the audience. Her reinforcement was a tool that rhetors use to make a focal point more memorable.
Her usage of symbols, analogies, and style was consciousness-raising. Angelou was seeking to elevate the audience’s consciousness of the gloom and impending doom of both
America and humanity. The language was reflective of Angelou’s personae (Zuckerman, 2014).
As a child she stopped speaking at age eight, when she believed her voice killed a man; her selective usage of words to create imagery is reflective of her ability to overcome the silence of the past, only to now be regarded as one of the most powerful voices in American literature today (Harold-Bloom, 1996).
Angelou’s Influence over Speech
Because of Angelou’s esteemed works, she is a relic in American Literature making her able to connect with most audiences. The recitation of this poem, her personae, and the occasion are contributing factors that strengthened her relationship with her audience. The language she used was by all means universal. By using the images, A Rock, a River, a Tree to symbolize the complexity of America’s past, the mastodon to express the now obsolete ways of the past and the
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dream to be reflective of Martin Luther King, Jr., and others’ dream of being embraced by the world—Angelou thoroughly connects these societal subjects alongside cultural history
(Neubauer, p. 286). The language is thought-provoking beyond the recitation of the poem.
Angelou addressed the past with the audience, and vividly outlined the action that needed to take place for individuals to be able to become embraced by the world with “Study war no more”
(Angelou, 1993).
Although this poem has been highly regarded historically, some critics believe that it is partially plagiarized and simply too short. But in the instance of this particular body of work, the audience and the occasion are brought together by the poet’s ability to address the audience with relevant topics that leave thought provoking remnants even after recitation (Lupton, p. 258).
Angelou & Clinton Narratives
President Clinton hailed from Hope, Arkansas, which also is symbolic of the poem. My plan of argumentation will apply the method of narrative criticism to look at the universal commonalities between Angelou and President Clinton with respect to “On the Pulse of
Morning”. The poem can be analyzed with respect to relationship between Angelou and
President Clinton. With the two figures having deep roots in Arkansas, several shared views and contrasting experience can be analyzed. Their ability to not be confined to the constraints of rural
Arkansas is an understatement (Sahar, p. 450).
Narrative Criticism Argument
Some of the best things in life come from the most desolate places. The fact that hope came by way Arkansas in the form of the powerful poet Maya Angelou and the much-revered
President Clinton, is telling of the fact that hope can come from anywhere. I also plan to
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investigate the symbols Angelou used throughout the poem through the lens of a narrative criticism. I will focus on the stories of Angelou and President Clinton to emphasize Angelou’s message of hope with reverence to the past. The meaning of their human experience speaks to the audience, well beyond the recitation of the poem. The poem was transformed into a Grammy award winning album, which is telling of its transformative appeal. Clinton referred to Angelou upon her death as a “National Treasure”, this speaks not only to their relationship, but her impact on the country and the world (Sahar, p. 461).
Viewing “On the Pulse of Morning” through a narrative criticism will reveal what the world was like within and outside of the text, how the literary parts align to tell the story, and the authors purpose for directed her message to Angelou's audience with the utilization of characters, setting, plot and themes.
The themes within the poem of unified hope, change and reverence of the past, resonate a message that will forever be relevant. Angelou's appeal to her audience, wasn’t just a message to the Clinton administration but a message to the world (Rochon, p. 78). Change cannot be made without accepting the past and not repeating the very thing that keeps people divided. The indifference of the past will result in the persisting history of division and war. Despite differences, we are the same and our pain needs to universally be embraced to change the future.
When Maya Angelou introduced “On the Pulse of Morning” to address the public during
President Clinton’s inauguration in 1993, no one could project the future reach that the inaugural poem would have. The poem, only a five-minute reading, was vast in communicating the dawn of a new presidential era and the hope that could ultimately spark change. To have a better understanding of the narrative criticism lens being applied to the poem, one cannot ignore the similarities and differences between Angelou and President Clinton (Armenti, 2017).
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1. Angelou, Clinton and Arkansas
Angelou’s deep ties with President Clinton gave the already accomplished Angelou, a platform that deemed her a national icon, but both Clinton and Angelou have roots “planted”, as used in the poem, in Arkansas. The state of Arkansas’ name is derived from the American
Quapaw tribe, also known as “Ugakhpah” which translates to “people who live downstream”
(https://statesymbolsusa.org). Although Angelou and Clinton were differed in racial background and experiences, they both stem from the same tree planted by “the river”, or figuratively speaking, Arkansas “downstream”.
2. Angelou’s Upbringing
Maya Angelou’s upbringing began in a small town in South Arkansas named, Stamps.
Originally born Margauerite Lee Johnson on April 4, 1928. A in St. Louis, Missouri, Angelou spend about eight years in Stamps. Stamps, known for lumber, was also riddled by the racial inclined gloom of Jim Crow. In “I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings” Angelou referred to the town she and her sister had been sent to as “small, musty” (Harold-Bloom, 1996). It is also important to note that Arkansas’s state bird is the Mockingbird (https://statesymbolsusa.org). Stamps staged Angelou’s formative years, and while Arkansas has a place in Angelou’s heart, a lot of that space was filled with pain that would be a continuous narrative throughout her literary works. The growing pains of a young black girl in Arkansas during that era, are also chronicled in her writings. The starkness of the laws of segregation and racial discrimination that surrounded a young Angelou could have fostered her imagination in a way that contributed to her creative writing skills (Lupton, p.257).
3. Clinton’s Background
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Angelou’s experience as an Arkansan would shape her career in a manner that closely aligns with the beginnings of President Clinton. Originally born, William Jefferson Blythe III on
August 19, 1946, Clinton would take his stepfather's last name. Angelou would leave Arkansas before Clinton was born, but in 1946, Jim Crow was still prominent (Rochon, p.78). The small- town themes of illegitimate marriages and abuse, plagued Clinton and his family in his formative years, just as they plagued Angelou. Although their racial backgrounds differed, and it was even noted that Clinton’s grandparents’ income consisted of residuals that came from lending to blacks during segregation, differing financial segmentations did not stop President Clinton from being exposed to the same indifference that is rooted in Angelou and Clinton from Arkansas
(Rochon, p.78).
4. President Kennedy & President Clinton
The first president to select an inaugural poem to be performed was John F. Kennedy, who was also from the democratic party. Angelou, President Clinton and President Kennedy all shared similar sociopolitical ideologies. “Each of you, descendant of some passed on traveler, has been paid for” is a reference of the poem that is inclusive of the shared sentiment of
Angelou, President Clinton, and President Kennedy. Although Kennedy’s inaugural poem was recited 30 years prior, Clinton’s replication of the poem, was significant in the way that Clinton’s choice was a reverent nod to President Kennedy. All these individuals are deeply planted or rooted in America.
Symbols & Relationships
Angelou’s usage of symbols harmoniously synced with the narrative of Angelou’s and
Clinton’s relationship. She used third-person application to express the narrative of symbols she
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 16
utilized throughout the poem. In summation, her repetition of the rhetorical forms of symbols A
Rock, A River, A Tree reinforced in the poem’s representation of attributes from an actual rock, river, and tree. A Rock symbolized boldness, and is in the name of Arkansas’ capital, Little
Rock. The boldness of the Rock was mentioned by Angelou, “But today the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully. Stand on me, but do not hide your face.” In the same way that President
Kennedy stood on the figurative Rock before Clinton, Angelou’s poetic charge to “not hide your face” referred to the passing of the presidential baton, but also the transference of responsibility and accountability of the past.
1. Arkansas and Little Rock
Contextually, Little Rock is the Captial of Arkansas or “people who live downstream”.
“The River” has attributes of birth and fluidity (Dippel, p. 2155). Often the rhetorical employment of a symbol that references water is reflective of cleansing, life and freedom.
Analyzing how water is described in rhetorical execution is important when looking through the narrative lens. The River was personified with actions of “thrusting” and “singing,” but in the same ways that waters trust upon shores, the narration of The River illustrates an exchange of clean and clear shores, for the seizure of war study. Angelou challenged through her poem, if the
American people “study war no more,” then the River would reciprocate with the cleansing of waste that resided on the River’s collar and the “bloody sear” of “cynicism” across America’s
“brow.” The usage of the symbol, brow is symbolic of the heart or effort one places towards something.
America is often characterized as having an attitude of cynicism. Angelou employed the symbol of the brow to illustrate that before war efforts complicated the landscape, before we
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 17
even had knowledge, “the River, the Tree and the stone were one”. The employment of these symbols was reflective of Angelou’s expert ability to align symbols with the comprehensive audience narrative.
2. Trinitarian Theology
The Rock, The River, The Tree are three separate identities that used to be one. Angelou,
Clinton, and Kennedy have all been viewed as individuals with the potential to become one with greater society. Angelou and Clinton, closer in origin proxemics are from the same place, but all three are from the same land and country. The Arkansan backgrounds of Maya Angelou and
President Clinton were instrumental in understanding the full context of the poem. Angelou’s skillful execution of symbols communicated similarities in differences that unified us as a people
(Neubauer, p. 286).
When looking at Angelou’s narrative approach to the event presented, she used third- person narration to express a first-hand account of life experiences (shared and different) of her and President Clinton, which also aligned with experiences of the universal audience. Angelou herself, was a direct part of the indifference she expressed with “The Rock, The River, The
Tree”. She used these symbols to express a broader function of story-telling narrative to communicate her and President Clinton’s moral, cultural and political perspective (Hagen, p.
102).
3. Natural Forces in Rhetoric
Angelou employed the fundamental theme of reverence of natural forces to give the audience the promise of hope in the new Clinton Administration, with a warning from nature of the looming repercussions of ignoring and “hiding” in the shadows of America’s yesteryear.
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Nature’s broader function in rhetoric is not to be analyzed without acknowledgement of the omnipresent. The Rock, The River, The Tree can also be a reflective of Angelou’s acknowledgment of their shared morals in faith, with Christian Trinitarian theology. “The
Creator (God) gave,” the song for the River to sing before Angelou, Clinton and Kennedy were alive, which signifies that the song the River sings will continue “The River sings and signs on,” after they have left (Fox-Genovese, p.221).
Conclusion
Angelou used in the narrative of the Tree, “Come to me, here beside the River” aligned the function of nature and used the narratives of the symbolic voices of The River, the Rock, the
Tree to encompass “three-in-one" theology to express the broader concept of power in unification and the world being unified as one (Sahar, p.453). The idea that people could be powerful if they recognized the things that make and have made them separate entities, is the redemptive action that Angelou exclaimed needed to take place to truly make the world a comprehensive entity.
Upon Maya Angelou’s death President Clinton issued a statement, “With Maya
Angelou’s passing, America has lost a national treasure; and Hilary and I, a beloved friend”. His acknowledgment of Angelou as a “National Treasure” was his expression of affection and recognition of her iconic status. He went on to say, “Now she sings the songs the Creator gave her when the river “and the tree and the stone were one”. His statement reflective Angelou’s full- circle life experience and cycle expressed through the symbols that she used throughout the epic poem.
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“On the Pulse of Morning” encompassed the diversity of the United States, which was emphasized metaphorically through Maya Angelou and President Bill Clinton’s relationship and foundation in the symbols she utilized. Despite criticisms of the inaugural poem Angelou’s intricacy contributed to transformative success the poem, however the relationship of Angelou and Clinton was weaved throughout the lines of the poem in the contextual narrative represented in the inaugural address. Being the first female to be chosen to perform at an inaugural event speaks to Angelou’s exemplary influence in American culture. With the help of a Presidential friend, Angelou was able to reach her audience with a message of hope, self-reflection, and perseverance.
Angelou’s entire body of work, in lectures, film and other literary works, were carried on her ability to express universal themes through her personal depiction of the black experience by often, and in “On the Pulse of Morning,” using a narrative approach. Through her narrative she taught, guided, used her voice to be vocal about universal truths that not only impacted her in upbringing, but in her own realizations in summations of life.
In 2011, President Barack Obama Awarded Maya Angelou with the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” and her accumulative awards reflected the renowned reverence the world had for her and her overall perspective. Angelou’s narrative was always a catalyst for hope, change and other universal values and her work continues to resonate through the symbolic representation and analysis of a plethora of meaningful relationships.
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State Symbols USA, www.statessymbolusa.org. Accessed 10 October 2019.
Zuckerman, Ester. “Watch and Listen to Maya Angelou Recite Her Own Work.” The Atlantic,
www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/05/watch-and-listen-to-maya-angelou-recite-
her-own-work/371716/. Accessed 10 October 2019.
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Written Presentation The title speech is “On the Pulse of Morning” by Maya Angelou. The Narrative Criticism theory was used to analyze the speech text.
Narrative Criticism is defined as, a criticism that focuses on the stories a speaker or writer and teaches us how to make meaning out of regular human experiences. The narrative theory is the way we can comprehend and express our experiences through narrative stories.
I believe Angelou did a phenomenal job at proving her rhetorical relevance in culture. In her methodology she narrated the stories of herself, Clinton, Kennedy, and ultimately the world.
Stories have universal reach and promoting diversity and inclusion requires that the audience finds the material or story relatable. Any mention on plagiarism on Angelou’s behalf is only a misunderstanding of context and inspiration. Angelou’s reputation precedes her work.
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Communication Biography
Communication is a vital part of life. In grade school, I often received the complement that I was “well spoken” and my father always said I should always be well-versed in conversation. From that point on, I focused on honing my communication skills. At the tail-end of high school I experienced an event that stifled my communication skills. For years, I took on the resulting impediments as a permanent condition, but I now chose to therapeutically utilize my coursework to rehabilitate and grow in communication. It wasn’t until I became a parent and had a child with a speech issue that I decided to focus on Communication Studies.
Communicating is fun, but the science behind communication is beneficial while in the most critical circumstances in life.
I have learned to communicate more effectively this semester. The poem I selected for the final paper allowed me to analyze a speech text that impacted an ever-changing audience. It is important to know the audience you are addressing to bridge the gaps between varying levels of communication. The final paper required me to extract evidence of my findings and present them in a way that reflected the rhetor. My son’s speech therapist was able to communicate with him in a way that made him excited to attend therapy, which suggests she knew her audience well. I want people to be excited about what scares them, in the same way my son's therapist prompted growth. I want to encourage people to run in the direction of their fears to conquer them. This semester equipped me with the skills to identify varying levels of communication, by first identifying my audience.
On a business platform, I continue to communicate ideas, products and services to different people. I own a lash extension supply company. Lash extensions can be hard to
Maya Angelou’s Inaugural Poem: A Rhetorical Perspective 24
communicate to someone who has never heard about them. But the right communication can convey exactly what is hard to communicate. I want to be able to visually communicate when verbal communication is less effective. Showing potential clients and customers a service or a product could vastly expand hair companies like mine, given the unique ability to attract, maintain and retain awareness. This semester showed me that a narrative can effectively communicate a message.
Communication courses that I have taken thus far are COM 1010 Oral Communication,
COM 2000 Intro to Communication Studies, COM 2030 Justification: Grammar and Style, COM
2110 Argument and Debate, COM 3300 Business and Professional Presentation, and COM 3400
Theories Communication. I took COM 1010 as an introductory course and found it extremely uncomfortable to speak in person, but I bore through it as required. COM 2000 was a course where I was introduced to and explored fundamental communication studies theories. During this course I shadowed a small-business owner and had to observe and note the interactions and behaviors of the business, owner(s) and employee(s). COM 2030 was an online course that was also required, but it focused on sharpening editing skills necessary for written communication.
COM 2110 was a course that I was extremely nervous about, because I could remember how uneasy I felt in COM 1010 about public speaking. However, I was able to use my interest in arguing to supersede my fear of public speaking. I learn from this course that it is not only important to have a valid point, but to know how to articulate that point is even more effective.
The proper articulation of a valid point can be pivotal in changing someone’s views, beliefs or life.
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COM 3300 or Business and Professional Presentation was an online course that introduced me to the new ways of the hiring process. Gone are the days where you take a wordy resume to be dropped off at a job you’ve heard is hiring. I had to learn of to keep presentations brief and your resume “breifer”. I learn how to prepare group assignments remotely, create memorandums and to gather and reiterate information with varying levels of disclosure.
COM 3400 was like COM 2000 in the way that we were being introduced to communication theories but studied about 30 theories intensively. We were required to know about them in theory and in application. We also looked at each theory under professional scope, to see if theories could be verified or falsified. The ability to do both, expanded my ability to look under the scope and beyond of the scope. A theory can be viewed as correct until it has been falsified.
The culmination of these courses has led me to now, where we conclude. I anticipate what I may learn after Rhetorical Criticism, but learning how to analysis a speech text showed me that what you are attempting to reiterate is vital. I have studied the impact of speeches by both Walter Reuther and Martin Luther King in a previously taken African American Literature course. I was familiar with both, but it wasn’t until I dissected the historical aspect, that I understood the tone and purpose behind their speeches. After analyzing Maya Angelou’s “On the
Pulse of Morning”, I can better identify the thesis of a speech and the context behind it.
This course has helped me identify and be able to explain my communication biography as it pertains to my future endeavors. I textually and contextually analyze a speech according to the methods we learn in this course. A speech given without proper context in ineffective. More importantly, building my portfolio will allow me to market myself to people and companies
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according to what I have learned in education. Ultimately, this course has aided in my presentation, ability to analyze and understand rhetoric.