Maya Angelou Questions

What did Maya Angelou say is the reason a caged sings? It sings of freedom. It sings not for the beautiful tune it makes and the hopes it will reach our ears, but for freedom. I understand what Angelou is saying, I think it is very poetic. I myself would hate to be a caged bird, as would everyone else. I think that this may even be the truth, as it seems likely.

After a major trauma at the age of seven, Angelou didn’t speak for almost five years. Could you live this way? Do you talk too much or too little? What could you learn if you listened more and spoke less? How could you grow as a person by speaking more? I cannot justifiably say what I would do, because I could never even begin to imagine what I would do had I been in Maya Angelou’s shoes. But I can understand that it must have been extremely hard for her, so given the circumstances I might be silent, too. If I was silent for that long, I could learn much more than if I was always running my mouth. I don’t think I talk too much or too little, I think I know when to talk and when to stop talking. But if I was smart about my words, then maybe I could learn a thing or two, and grow as a person in the process.

Angelou says she is comfortable using six or seven languages, has spoken at one time or another as many as twelve, and has been a teacher in at least three. Are you comfortable using another language? I am not yet comfortable speaking another language. Which languages would you like to be fluent in? At least one: Spanish. Why those? Because Spanish is the most practical, the easiest, and I love Spanish. Or do you think speaking English is good enough because you live here in America and that’s all we should need to live here? Why? I think speaking English is enough to get by in America, because I can’t fluently speak anything but English and I’m still here. But if you can speak more than English, than you will probably have more opportunities.

Angelou quotes Nathaniel West as saying, “Easy reading is damned hard writing” and says writing is just hard work, you know?” Do you agree with this? What is easiest and hardest to you about writing? Is writing hard work? I do agree with this! You know that an author is bad, if you think about them writing the book you’re reading as you’re reading it. But if an author is good, then the story flows and it seems real, even though it’s in your head. What’s hardest about writing to me is writing stuff that’s creative and makes sense at the same time. Writing is undeniably hard work!