Angelou’s poem My Guilt addresses racism and the apathetic reactions of African Americans. Rhythm and tone are key elements in conveying the mournful message of a person who has identified their sins, and wishes to repent. In the first stanza, I believe that Angelou is trying to give the idea that over the past few centuries, blacks have grown deaf and blind to the injustices being done against them. The lines “My guilt is “slavery’s chains,” to long / the clang of iron falls down the years” suggest that Angelou’s guilt has come from hearing stories about her ancestor’s struggles.
I believe she then realizes that many African Americans wish to forget and ignore the past and move on with life simply accepting white man’s system of order and justice. In the second and third stanza, the lines “My crime is I’m alive to tell. / My sin is “hanging from a tree,” / I do not scream, it makes me proud.” introduces Angelou as willing to be stronger than her ancestors have been in the past. I believe that Angelou chose the sad and mournful tone to show her feelings of disgrace and sincerity. This shows that there is no irony or sarcasm intended in this poem. I also think that the well thought out rhythm of the poem suggests that this topic is extremely important and has been reflected upon for quite some time.
In the very last stanza of the poem, Angelou states “I take to dying like a man. /I do it to impress the crowd. /My sin lies in not screaming loud.” This truly depicts Angelou as a strong woman in that she wishes to die like a man: silently and without the expression of pain.
The Essay on An analysis of the Maya Angelou poem “To a man”
‘To a man’ is written by Maya Angelou, whose first novel was an autobiography of her varied life, (activist, singer, waitress, dancer etc.) called ‘I know why the caged bird sings’. She has written two collections of prose, ‘Wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now’ and ‘Even the stars look lonesome’. Angelou has written several famous poems, ...
