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Year 8

Maya Angelou's poetic voice

I can comment on Maya Angelou's poetic voice, referencing a number of her poems to support my ideas.

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New
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Year 8

Maya Angelou's poetic voice

I can comment on Maya Angelou's poetic voice, referencing a number of her poems to support my ideas.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We can explore Angelou's poems as a collection, as well as individually.
  2. Exploring Angelou's poems as a collection allows us to understand her as a poet.
  3. We might make comments on similarities between speakers, ideas and methods across poems.
  4. We can use these comments to consider Angelou's poetic voice as a whole, and suggest the dominant tone across her work.

Common misconception

You shouldn't talk about poems as a group. This will make your comments too general.

You can make clear comments about a poet's work as a whole, as long as these comments are supported by specific examples from specific poems.

Keywords

  • Forthright - direct, outspoken

  • Lyrical - expressing emotions in an imaginative or unusual way

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

  • Defiant - boldly disobedient

  • Tone - the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

Equipment

You need access to 'Phenomenal Woman', 'Woman Work', 'Still I Rise', 'On Aging', 'Caged Bird', 'Equality', 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me, and 'On the Pulse of the Morning' (Penguin Random House).

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of sexual content

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match each method to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer:commands,orders

orders

Correct Answer:refrain,repeated line or group of lines in a poem

repeated line or group of lines in a poem

Correct Answer:tone,the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

the attitude of emotion of your voice - written or verbal

Q2.
Match each word to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer:oppression,the unjust treatment of a group or individual

the unjust treatment of a group or individual

Correct Answer:discrimination,treating different categories of people unfairly

treating different categories of people unfairly

Correct Answer:sexism ,treating people unfairly based on their sex

treating people unfairly based on their sex

Correct Answer:enslavement,the action of making someone a slave

the action of making someone a slave

Q3.
Which of these Maya Angelou poems uses an extended metaphor to explore the idea of oppression and injustice? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
'Equality'
'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'
'Woman Work'
Correct answer: 'Caged Bird'
'Still I Rise'
Q4.
Which of these poems did Maya Angelou write and perform at President Clinton's inauguration in 1993? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
'Equality'
'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'
Correct answer: 'On the Pulse of the Morning'
'Caged Bird'
'Still I Rise'
Q5.
Match each Maya Angelou poem to its overall focus ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
Correct Answer:'Woman Work',a lonely Black female speaker lists the chores she must complete

a lonely Black female speaker lists the chores she must complete

Correct Answer:'Phenomenal Woman',an assertive speaker explains why she is so extraordinary

an assertive speaker explains why she is so extraordinary

Correct Answer:'Still I Rise',a defiant speaker explains why she can't be oppressed

a defiant speaker explains why she can't be oppressed

Correct Answer:'Caged Bird',explores the Jim Crow laws through extended metaphor

explores the Jim Crow laws through extended metaphor

Correct Answer:'Equality',a commanding speaker demands equal treatment

a commanding speaker demands equal treatment

Q6.
Starting with the first, put these Angelou poems in the order they were first published ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou').
1 - 'Woman Work', 'Phenomenal Woman', 'Still I Rise', 'On Aging'
2 - 'Caged Bird'
3 - 'Equality'
4 - 'On the Pulse of the Morning'
5 - 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does it mean when we say Maya Angelou was a prolific poet? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
She was an admired poet.
Correct answer: She wrote a lot of poems.
She was asked to speak at a President's inauguration.
She wrote about oppression and discrimination.
She started writing when she was young.
Q2.
Match each word to its definition ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct Answer:lyrical ,expressing emotions in an imaginative or unusual way

expressing emotions in an imaginative or unusual way

Correct Answer:forthright,direct, straightforward

direct, straightforward

Correct Answer:defiant,boldly disobedient

boldly disobedient

Correct Answer:prolific,producing in large quantities

producing in large quantities

Q3.
Why might we make a comment on Maya Angelou's poems as a collection? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
it's the only way you can talk about individual speakers
to understand why she wrote so many poems
Correct answer: to show understanding of her as a poet
so we can analyse her work: you can't analyse individual poems
Correct answer: to start to consider how you could define her poetic voice
Q4.
What might we call a poem which expresses emotions in an imaginative or unusual way? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
lively
lasting
likeable
Correct answer: lyrical
lavish
Q5.
Which of these sentences use the word 'uplifting' (or its forms) accurately? ('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.
Correct answer: I'm not sure which Angelou poem I find the most uplifting and optimistic.
After reading a hopeful Angelou poem, I often feel upliftingly.
Q6.
Which of these sentences use the word 'forthright' (or its forms) accurately? ('Single poet study: Maya Angelou')
Correct answer: 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.
Correct answer: One way Angelou creates a forthright tone is by using command words.
Correct answer: Often, Angelou confronts the oppression she has faced in a forthright tone.