Comparing Poems 'The Lie And Prescience' By Maya Angelou
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“The Lie” and “Prescience” art two poems written by Maya Angelou that appear to have been first published in 1986 by Random House Books which is entitled “Poems.” This volume includes several previously published works such as “Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water Fore I Die,” “Still I Rise” and “Shaker Why Don’t You Sing;” Angelou’s literature works communicate universal truths, champions civil rights, advocates feminist rights, savors life and document not only the Afro American experience but the human experience (Caged Bird Legacy | The Legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou). Her works do not just record an Afro American woman perceptions of the mid and late 20th century, they have effected the social norms of the culture. In the mist of social change…show more content… In the format of the book “Poems” the pieces are present one after another; the reader gets the impression they are part of the same heartache. One ode is the event and the second work is the repercussion. The poems have almost no rhyming scheme by the have a rhythm of smoky jazz, and sweaty midnight blues. Angelou does not use the low diction that she wield to embroider her works depicting the Afro American pulse, she use middle diction that leans towards formal diction. Many of the words in both poems would send any serious bibliophile to their favorite dictionary to wallow in the nuisance of the meaning of words such as invectives, septum, copious, keloid, cicatrix, insolent, comedic and delectation. “Had I know that loneliness could/keloid, winding itself around the/body in an ominous and beautiful/cicatrix"(14-16). A young reader can savors the words, picking at their meaning, feeling they will never be in these situation. An older reader can appreciate the grief invoked and appreciating the sophisticated verbalization of their torment. Those reader with keloids know the pain that even a small scape can cause, see vividly the scares as they…show more content… The game often involves the use of resources need to accomplice other goals, it is an emotional drain. “Today, you threaten to leave me”(1). This time the scrimmage is not played out in either its usual or expected manner. A bluff is executed, before the reader gets to the feint, the author includes the audience in a fight or flight reaction, we feel threaten, we feel the need to defend, the want to attack, the ache of pent up tears and screams. “Prescience” (Angelou p 200-201) takes a look at heartache “Had I known...”(1) and “But from a distance”(22) takes the reader either on a journey of acknowledgement of hurts and acceptance of lessons learned or an epic pity