expressing emotions in an imaginative or unusual way

the tools a writer uses to create their work; refrain and use of commands are just two examples

the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

Maya Angelou's poetic voice

English

An introduction to Maya Angelou's distinctive voice: ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’

Writing a poem inspired by Maya Angelou's 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'

Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman’

Exploring Maya Angelou's figurative language in ‘Phenomenal Woman’

Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’

Performing Maya Angelou's ‘Still I Rise’

Exploring Maya Angelou's 'Caged Bird'

Performing Maya Angelou's ‘Caged Bird’

Exploring Maya Angelou's 'Equality'

Exploring Maya Angelou’s use of figurative language

Maya Angelou’s influences: exploring ‘Sympathy’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Exploring Maya Angelou's 'Woman Work'

Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘On the Pulse of the Morning’

Exploring Maya Angelou's 'On Aging'

Analytical paragraphs: Maya Angelou’s poetic voice

Finding my own voice: planning a poem inspired by Maya Angelou

Finding my own voice: writing a poem inspired by Maya Angelou

Refining poems: harmony and dissonance

Finding my own voice: performing a poem

In 'Single Poet Study: Maya Angelou', pupils study a body of work by a single poet, in order to explore what makes her style and voice unique, giving Angelou her identity as a writer. In the second  Power and Conflict Poetry unit, pupils study the identity cluster of poems, including works by Agard, Dharker and Rumens, all of which use poetic voice to explore questions about personal identity.

In 'Poetry about Place and Home', pupils use spoken word poetry to explore their relationship to the city that they live in. In 'Single Poet Study: Maya Angelou', pupils explore how spoken word poetry can be used to express personal and political views. 

In this unit, pupils read and discover the work of Maya Angelou. They explore some of Angelou's most famous poems, such as 'Caged Bird' and 'Still I Rise', and practise writing and performing poems inspired by her work. As the unit develops, pupils find their own distinctive poetic voice.

Single poet study: Maya Angelou

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Historic or outdated representations of people that may portray inequality or injustice.

Depiction of war, threats of war, death or the aftermath of war.

Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Depiction or discussion of sex or sexual body parts, including sex education.

Depiction or discussion of sexual content

She was asked to speak at a President's inauguration.

She wrote about oppression and discrimination.

What does it mean when we say Maya Angelou was a prolific poet? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

Match each word to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

it's the only way you can talk about individual speakers

to understand why she wrote so many poems

so we can analyse her work: you can't analyse individual poems

to start to consider how you could define her poetic voice

Why might we make a comment on Maya Angelou's poems as a collection? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

What might we call a poem which expresses emotions in an imaginative or unusual way? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

Often, Angelou's speakers have an uplift tone filled with hope.

'Woman Work' has an uplifting tone because the speaker is lonely and tired.

I'm not sure which Angelou poem I find the most uplifting and optimistic.

After reading a hopeful Angelou poem, I often feel upliftingly. 

Which of these sentences use the word 'uplifting' (or its forms) accurately? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

Often, Angelou's speakers have a forthright, direct tone.

Angelou speaks very forthrightly because she uses metaphors.

Angelou wrote many poems which is why we might describe her as forthright.

One way Angelou creates a forthright tone is by using command words.

Often, Angelou confronts the oppression she has faced in a forthright tone.

Which of these sentences use the word 'forthright' (or its forms) accurately? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

repeated line or group of lines in a poem

Match each method to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').

the unjust treatment of a group or individual

treating different categories of people unfairly

treating people unfairly based on their sex

Match each word to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').

Which of these Maya Angelou poems uses an extended metaphor to explore the idea of oppression and injustice? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

Which of these poems did Maya Angelou write and perform at President Clinton's inauguration in 1993? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')

a lonely Black female speaker lists the chores she must complete

an assertive speaker explains why she is so extraordinary

a defiant speaker explains why she can't be oppressed

explores the Jim Crow laws through extended metaphor

a commanding speaker demands equal treatment

Match each Maya Angelou poem to its overall focus ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').

'Woman Work', 'Phenomenal Woman', 'Still I Rise', 'On Aging' 

Starting with the first, put these Angelou poems in the order they were first published ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').

Starter Quiz