Phenomenal Woman free essay sample

Phenomenal Woman is one of the most quoted poems in literary history. This poem was written in 1978 by Maya Angelou to tell a story of how as woman, through our many obstacles, we still were phenomenal. Angelou is a poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. She was born Marguerite Johnson, April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. Maya Angelou’s life wasn’t always silver and gold. Maya Angelou’s parents divorced when she was a young child and her and her older brother were sent to live in Arkansas with their grandmother. At the age of seven, during a visit to her mother’s, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. She only told her brother that this accord and days later, her mother’s boyfriend was killed by her uncles for his act on her. We will write a custom essay sample on Phenomenal Woman or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She thought that her words had killed him and she stopped speaking. She went on not speaking for five years and when she finally spoke, her and her brother moved back with their mom now in San Francisco. Maya earned a scholarship to the Labor School to dance and act. At the age of 16, she became pregnant and dropped out of school to work and raise her son. Angelou begin her career in a different way than most poets. She began as a dancer, then a Calypso singer and later moved to Harlem to join the Harlem Freedom Writers. In 1959, at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , Maya Angelou became the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian leadership Conference. From 1961 to 962 she was associate editor of The Arab Observer in Cairo, Egypt; and from 1964 to 1966 she was feature editor of the African Review in Accra, Ghana. She returned to the U.S. in 1974 and was appointed by Gerald Ford to Bicentennial Commission and later by Jimmy Carter to the Commission for International Woman of the Year. At the urging of her friend, writer James Baldwin, she began writing about her life experiences. The result of her efforts became the 1970 best-selling memoir about her childhood and young adult years entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This me moir made Angelou an international literary star. The first woman director in Hollywood, Angelou has written, produced, directed, and starred in productions for stage, film, and television. In 1971, she wrote the original screenplay and musical score for the film Georgia, Georgia, and was both author and executive producer of a five-part television miniseries â€Å"Three Way Choice†. She has also written and produced several prize-winning documentaries, including, â€Å"Afro-Americans in the Arts†, a PBS special for which she received the Golden Eagle Award. In 1978, Maya Angelou wrote Phenomenal Woman. This poem was inspired by all the trials and tribulations Angelou faced in her youth. Her poem illustrates the love a woman has for herself even though she isn’t considered beautiful. She used this publication to empower not only herself, but all women in the world that have faced obstacles or just didn’t know where they would turn to next. This poem spoke about woman in an inner sense than on what’s seen by the eye. True enough, the first thing you see when you see a woman or anyone else is their physical aspects. In this poem, Angelou wanted to focus mostly on all the wonderful things a woman can offer skin deep. Maya Angelou writes about experiences she has faced. She points out that she isn’t the most beautiful woman in the world, but she has so much more to offer than just beauty. The poem uses a repetitive pattern in each stanza. Angelou starts the stanza with a description of someone’s reaction to the woman as they notice her. The reactions are all categorized by wonderment. They question why she is so happy and what others see in her. The stanzas continue by developing the persona. The persona is described as a vivacious woman. Kelly Cecil describes Angelou’s purpose for her descriptions by stating: â€Å"She uses imagery so that the proud, confident persona can be better understood†.

Biography of Tullus Hostilius

Biography of Tullus Hostilius Tullus Hostilius was the 3rd of the  7 kings of Rome, following Romulus and  Numa Pompilius. He  ruled Rome from about 673-642 B.C. Tullus, like the other kings of Rome, lived during the legendary period whose records were destroyed in the fourth century B.C. Most of the stories we have about Tullus Hostilius come from Livius Patavinus  (Livy), a Roman historian  who lived in the first century B.C. Hostus Hostilius and the Sabines During the reign of Romulus, the Sabines and Romans were approaching each other in battle when a single Roman rushed ahead and engaged with a Sabine warrior who had similar ideas. The brash Roman was Hostus Hostilius, grandfather of Tullus Hostilius. Though he did not defeat the Sabine, Hostus Hostilius was held up as a model of bravery. The Romans retreated, although Romulus soon changed his mind and turned around and engaged again. Tullus on Expanding Rome Tullus defeated the Albans, razed their city of Alba Longa, and brutally punished their traitorous leader, Mettius Fufetius. He welcomed the Albans into Rome, thereby doubling the population of Rome. Tullus added Alban nobles to the Senate of Rome and built the Curia Hostilia for them, according to Livy. He also used the Alban nobles to increase his cavalry force. Military Campaigns   Tullus, who is described as more militaristic than Romulus, went to war against Alba, Fidenae, and the Veientines. He tried treating the Albans as allies, but when their leader acted treacherously, he conquered and absorbed them. After beating the people of Fidenae, he defeated their allies, the Veientines, in a bloody battle at the Anio River. He also defeated the Sabines at Silva Malitiosa by throwing them into confusion using his Albans-enhanced cavalry. Jupiter Strikes Down Tullus Tullus had not paid much attention to the religious rites. When a plague struck, the people of Rome believed it to be divine punishment. Tullus didnt worry about it until he, too, became ill and  unsuccessfully tried to follow the prescribed rites. It was believed that Jupiter in response to this lack of proper reverence, struck Tullus down with a bolt of lightning. Tullus had reigned for 32 years. Virgil on Tullus He shall found Rome anew- from mean estateIn lowly Cures led to mightier sway.But after him arises one whose reignShall wake the land from slumber: Tullus thenShall stir slack chiefs to battle, rallyingHis hosts which had forgot what triumphs be.Him boastful Ancus follows hard upon- Aeneid Book 6 Ch. 31 Tacitus on Tullus Romulus governed us as he pleased; then Numa united our people by religious ties and a constitution of divine origin, to which some additions were made by Tullus and Ancus. But Servius Tullius was our chief legislator to whose laws even kings were to be subject.- Tacitus Bk 3 Ch. 26

Lead discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lead discussion - Assignment Example On the other hand, the Euro-Americans benefited from the regions where the Indian- Americans left as they were pushed to the west. The whole scenario outraged the natives because the Euro-Americans saw them as inferior and they started to treat the environment in a way that the natives did not like. Moreover, Indian-Americans were persuaded to give land to Euro-Americans and US government at a low amount by signing a treaty. Therefore, â€Å"The Chief Seattle’s of 1854 Oration† is a lamentation speech because the Indian-Americans were given a raw deal. The treaty led to scattering of Native Americans since they surrendered their land to the superior white race. This was believed to extinct most of the natives. Because of this, the chief Seattle tries to persuade the Americans to treat the natives with utmost respect because they were feeling the effects of harsh living conditions to places they were pushed. One is that the white chief does not need the friendships of the natives. This is elaborated in the quote, â€Å"The white chief says that Big Chief at Washington sends us greetings of friendship and goodwill. This is kind of him for we know he has little need of our friendship in return†. Relating some subjects with the main discussion was difficult and took me much time to know their meaning. For instance, â€Å"Day and night cannot dwell together† was used to show disparity between natives and colonizers because they cannot stay