Introduction
“On the Pulse of Morning” by American poet Maya Angelou is an excellent example of how an author can convey a solid political message using a calculated choice of words and metaphors. It became a beacon of hope for everybody looking for a change in the USA from the first time it was read to the public at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. The poem’s central theme is addressing past mistakes and gathering resources to build a brighter and more just future together as a single society.
Analysis
The theme of a shared future is central to Angelou’s poem. The reader is presented with three main personified characters: “A Rock, A River, A Tree,” who guide the people to do the right thing (Angelou). These figures prevent the impulse to forget the past and ignore it. A Rock urges people not to hide their faces from historical injustices but presents them with a ground to stand on.
A River attracts society to itself and has the option to educate them on the bloody history of the USA. A Tree gives them a common goal and unifies the battling communities. This advice is supported by the careful choice of words, which utilizes pathos and rhythm that makes the poem sound like a preach or a continuous story (Fitra et al. 83). Therefore, the piece’s first half asks the reader to remember the victims of colonization.
However, the poem’s end is filled with hope for the future. It presents an option to forgive each other for what has been done in the past and work together to eliminate social injustice. The pulse of a new day is an opportunity to begin again and strive for better conditions for everybody, including those oppressed before and continue being abused now. The utilized figures of speech appeal to the public’s ethos and motivate them to act better while accenting how simple it is (Angelou; Fitra et al. 85). In conclusion, Maya Angelou uses a simple wish of good morning at the poem’s end to signify the importance of staying kind to each other and helping the ones in need.
Alternative Opinion
On the other hand, some literary analysis works present a different point of view on this piece of culture, stating that it condemns colonialism and racism specifically. When discussing Angelou’s works, Hanaa Khalifa Mohamed Eid et al. state that race substantially factored her invitation as the inauguration speaker (68). Hamza Rauf Awan shares the same sentiment when analyzing the poet’s selected works (4). Both authors agree that the poem contains a strong counter-racist message and aims to show how colonialism stands on the bones of oppressed groups. They accent the brutish descriptions of historical events and the people who struggled.
At the same time, Eid et al. and Awan omit the ending of the poem and the message of unity that contains the most emotionally charged lines. They choose to concentrate on the ugly yet engaging call for remembrance. While addressing the public’s pathos is effective when discussing social problems, it does not present an alternative for the future. Therefore, this position doesn’t encapsulate the complete analysis of the poem and limits itself to a single topic.
Compromise
While the two positions are different, they share the same topic: the importance of history in building the future. Even though Eid et al. and Awan focus on racism in their works, it does not accurately represent the potential of this piece. The poem can be applied to any form of oppression, which is supported by the inclusion of “The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, / The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.” (Angelou). They are all shown as equal in the struggles that history might present to a group.
While my interpretation presents the end goal, the mechanisms and crucial factors are well-discussed by Eid et al. and Awan. Together, all these parts form a complete picture that analyses the society surrounding Angelou at the time of writing this poem. As the piece of literature was presented at Clinton’s inauguration, it perfectly conveys the struggles and hopes of American society through the prism of an African American woman’s experience. Therefore, both analysis standpoints aim to identify the problem’s cause, which is necessary for solving it in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Maya Angelou’s “On the Pulse of Morning” is a masterpiece with a strong message of hope for the future and the importance of the past. It perfectly presents the reader with powerful metaphors that convey ideas crucial to all societies. The poem’s historical context adds to the overall meaning of the piece as it gives listeners a reason to address the history of the country that is ready to change for the better.
While some authors focus on the importance of the past in this piece, omitting the final lines is detrimental to accurately understanding Angelou’s goals and dreams at the time. Moreover, the inclusion of certain social groups in society makes the poem universal for anyone who faces systemic oppression in the USA. Thus, it is still relevant as a reminder of the tragic past and promising future.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. “On the Pulse of Morning.” 1993. Academy of American Poets. Web.
Awan, Hamza Rauf. “Art as Resistance: Black Aestheticism in Amiri Baraka’ and Maya Angelou’s Selected Poetry.”Language, Literature and Culture, vol. 4, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1–6.
Eid, Hanaa, et al. “Manifestations of Racial Discrimination as Shown in Selected Poems by Maya Angelou.” Beni-SuefUniversity International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 2, no. 1, 2020, pp. 67–92. Web.
Fitra, Muh Al Fachrizah, et al. “The Semantic Figures Analysis, Meaning and Its Moral Value in the Poems of on the Pulse of Morning and Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.” Tamaddun, vol. 21, no. 1, 2022, pp. 77–89. Web.
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