1928-"?"?

"I love life" says Angelou, " I love living life and love the art of living, so I try to live my life as a poetic adventure, in everything I do." (Braxton 1) She also believes in a certain philosophy and tries to make it as prevalent as possible in her writing. "A belief that as long as people dream of freedom, there is hope of attaining their goal." (Hipple 49) Maya Angelou is known as one of the most successful poets and continues to have a major influence upon American Literature, due in part to her open mind and past experiences.

Angelou's life is considered the number one influence in her writing, and understandably so. Her real name is Marguerite Johnson but her brother called her "mya sister", which eventually evolved into Maya. (Magill 15) She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on...