essay on graduation by maya angelou

• Houston Community College
• Eagle Online

• Emily Klotz
• English Composition I - Spring 2022 (2nd start - online) (ENGL 1301)
• Course Readings

"Graduation" - Maya Angelou

To print or download this file, click the link below:

• Maya Angelou Graduation Essay

Maya Angelou’s “The Graduation” is a powerful poem about the experience of black people in America. It addresses the issue of racism and discrimination faced by African Americans, and highlights the strength and resilience of the black community. The poem is an inspiration to all who have faced adversity, and a reminder that we can overcome anything if we stand together.

As Maya Angelou and other children attending grammar school know, graduation is an essential time in everyone’s life. It signals a move to something bigger and better, where you can put your knowledge to use to reach your dreams.

She was one of the few African American students in her class. Despite the racism she and other black people faced, Maya Angelou was determined to graduate and make something of herself.

Maya Angelou’s “The Graduation” is a story about overcoming adversity and succeeding against all odds. Maya Angelou was raised in the racially segregated South during the 1930s and 1940s. She experienced firsthand the racism that black people faced on a daily basis. But she didn’t let that stop her from achieving her goals.

In “The Graduation,” Maya Angelou tells the story of her graduation from eighth grade. She describes how excited she and her classmates were to be moving on to high school. But she also describes the racism that they faced from their white classmates and teachers.

Despite the odds, Maya Angelou graduated from high school and went on to have a successful career as a writer, poet, and civil rights activist. She is an inspiration to all who face adversity in their lives. Her story is one of hope and determination. No matter what obstacles you face in life, remember that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Just like Maya Angelou.

The story Graduation has ethos from Lili’s perspective because, like everyone else standing on the stage or in the auditorium when Mr. Edward Donleavy casually denigrated everything the pupils had worked so hard to accomplish, she shared the same sentiments and feelings as Lili did.

Angelou’s use of first person also aids in creating pathos as the reader experiences what she went through.

Being one of the only black students in her class, and with a father who was not around, Angelou had to fend for herself a lot. She had to deal with things that other kids didn’t have to, like having enough money for food or getting good grades so she could graduate. Even though she was one of the valedictorians, she still didn’t feel like she deserved it because she was “just a Negro.” Mr. Donleavy’s words just made her feel even worse about herself.

The way Angelou responds to Mr. Donleavy’s racism shows her character to be intelligent and strong. She does not let his words get to her and instead uses them as motivation to prove him wrong. When she gives her graduation speech, she shows everyone that she is just as good as they are, if not better.

Angelou’s story is a great example of how someone can overcome racism and achieve success. It is inspiring and shows that no matter what people say or do, you can still reach your goals.

This is the story of a woman who has overcome every obstacle in her life to reach this day, and through her narrative, learned, and personal figurative, and descriptive writing, she has been able to pass on both the ill feelings and warm sentiments from Mr. Donleavy’s speech to that of Henry Reed.

Mr. Donleavy’s speech is one that degrades the black people, and African Americans especially. He talks about how they are not to be trusted and how they are nothing more than animals. Henry Reed, on the other hand, speaks kindly of the black people and states how they have made many advances in their fight for equality. Through her writing, Maya Angelou was able to show both the good and bad sides of that day, which helped give readers a more clear understanding of what it was like to be a black person during that time period.

Angelou excels at evoking emotions and empathy in her readers. She emphasizes her sense of being wronged by relating to them and broadcasting her feelings for everyone to see. When she’s talking about the people around her getting excited and nervous, she’s describing what it’s like when you’re about to graduate.

It is a time of both great hope and great fear. We all want to succeed, but we are also afraid of what lies ahead.

She also does an excellent job of capturing the racism that was prevalent in America at the time. She talks about how the black people in her town were treated like second-class citizens. They were not given the same opportunities as white people, and they were constantly reminded of their place in society. This is something that many people can relate to, even if they have not experienced it themselves. Racism is still a problem today, and Angelou’s words ring just as true now as they did then.

“The youngsters in Stamps shook visibly with eagerness…The entire young population had fallen sick with the graduation fever.” (22). This is how the story begins. What comes to mind as soon as you hear it? The word “graduation.” Your own graduation, whether it occurred in the past or will take place in the future. This helps her establish a link with her audience from the start, before they know anything about the tale’s backdrop or who she is.

It also gives the reader a sense of what the story will be about. Angelou then goes on to describe her town and how poor it was. She states, “There were no paved sidewalks, no city hall, no library, no churches with steeples” (22). This quote is important because it helps set the scene for the reader and allows them to better understand the setting in which Angelou grew up. It also paints a picture of just how poor her town was.

She continues by describing her family and their living conditions. She writes, “We lived in one room…my brother Bailey and I slept in homemade beds…Momma had built us a bookcase out of orange crates…” (22). This quote is important because it provides more insight into Angelou’s childhood and her family’s poverty. It also helps the reader understand the type of family she came from and how they interacted with each other.

In the next few paragraphs, Angelou goes on to describe her graduation day. She writes about how excited she was and how she felt like a princess. She states, “I wanted to wear my new dress and shoes…I wanted everyone in town to see me…I would be the only eighth grader graduating in a real high school graduation ceremony” (22-23). This quote is important because it shows how proud she was of her accomplishment. It also helps the reader understand how significant this event was for her.

After graduation, Angelou’s family throws her a party. However, she is quickly brought back down to reality when her father tells her that she can’t go to high school in San Francisco like she had planned. He tells her that she has to stay in Stamps and help take care of her younger brother.

More Essays

• Maya Angelou Essay
• To A Man Maya Angelou
• These Yet To Be United States By Maya Angelou
• Maya Angelou Biography Essay
• Maya Angelou: Motivation In The Classroom Essay
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Essay
• Essay about Maya Angelous Literary Analysis
• Still I Rise Essay

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Maya Angelou — Literary Analysis of Maya Angelou’s “Graduation”

Literary Analysis of Maya Angelou's "Graduation"

• Categories: Maya Angelou

About this sample

Words: 722 |

Published: Aug 1, 2024

Words: 722 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The significance of the setting, characterization and identity, the symbolism of the "white dress", bibliography.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 565 words

1 pages / 582 words

5 pages / 2450 words

3 pages / 1428 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou’s poem "Woman Work" is a profound and evocative piece that explores the multifaceted nature of a woman's labor. The poem, rich in both imagery and emotion, delves into the physical and emotional demands placed upon [...]

Maya Angelou was a prominent figure in American literature and civil rights activism. Throughout her life, she achieved numerous accomplishments that have left a lasting impact on society. From her groundbreaking autobiographies [...]

Mrs. Flowers by Maya Angelou is a compelling piece of literature that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the transformative power of mentorship. The story is set in the segregated South of the 1930s and is [...]

Maya Angelou, a name synonymous with literary brilliance, social activism, and artistic versatility, stands as a monumental figure in American cultural and intellectual history. Her life, marked by both profound challenges and [...]

Maya was sent from her father in California to her grandmother in Stamps when she was three years old, with her four-year-old brother Bailey. She lived in the back of the store which ran by her grandmother and uncle. The store [...]

One cannot discuss Maya Angelou’s “On the Pulse of Morning” without providing proper background concerning the context within which it came to be. The first emergence of the poem came in January of 1993 at Bill Clinton’s initial [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Literature Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou's "Graduation" : Themes of Racism and Segregation

Analysis of themes in Maya Angelou's "Graduation"

• Angelou, M. (1969). I know why the caged bird sings. Random House LLC.
• Cudjoe, S. (1991). Maya Angelou: A critical companion. Greenwood Press.
• Holtzman, M. (2017). Maya Angelou’s “Graduation”. Salem Press Encyclopedia.
• Inoue, M. (2017). Maya Angelou’s “Graduation”: Power in the Margins. Journal of Black Studies, 48(7), 643-658.
• Lupton, M. G. (2006). Maya Angelou: A critical reader. Wiley-Blackwell.

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Blackberry Picking

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis

Save to my list

Remove from my list

• Black Codes - History.com
• Civil Rights Movement - Wikipedia
• Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation
• Racial segregation in the United States - Wikipedia

Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis. (2020, Sep 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay

"Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis." StudyMoose , 2 Sep 2020, https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay

StudyMoose. (2020). Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay [Accessed: 30 Aug. 2024]

"Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis." StudyMoose, Sep 02, 2020. Accessed August 30, 2024. https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay

"Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis," StudyMoose , 02-Sep-2020. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay. [Accessed: 30-Aug-2024]

StudyMoose. (2020). Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay [Accessed: 30-Aug-2024]

• Maya Angelou `The Graduation` Pages: 5 (1486 words)
• Exploring Tone in "Graduation" by Maya Angelou Pages: 2 (502 words)
• Maya Angelou's "Gather Together in Maya's Name" Pages: 4 (1125 words)
• Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou's Poem Analysis Pages: 2 (405 words)
• An Analysis of Self-Love and Pride in Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou Pages: 3 (848 words)
• Maya Angelou's Triumph: A Poetic Analysis of 'Still I Rise' Pages: 2 (550 words)
• I Know Why A Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou: Poem Analysis Pages: 3 (663 words)
• Feminist Narratives in Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" Pages: 4 (1140 words)
• “Champion of the World" by Maya Angelou Pages: 3 (671 words)
• "These Yet to be United States" by Maya Angelou Pages: 3 (773 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

Sample details

Maya Angelou

• Words: 1339
• Views: 1,208

Related Topics

• Ernest Hemingway
• Shirley Jackson
• Stephen King
• Walt Whitman
• Anton Chekhov
• George Orwell
• Virginia Woolf
• Joyce Carol Oates
• Jack London
• Benjamin Banneker
• Raymond carver
• Kate Chopin
• Seamus Heaney
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• F.Scott Fitzgerald
• Tennessee williams
• Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Anne Bradstreet

“Graduation” by Maya Angelou Critique Analysis

D Critique “Graduation” was written by Maya Angelou in 1969. Angelou was born in Missouri, but after her parents divorced, she was sent to live with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. While in Arkansas, Angelou attended the Lafayette County Training School. The school is the setting for her essay “Graduation. ” Angelou graduated from eighth grade at Lafayette with top honors and went on to graduate from high school.

After high school, Angelou wrote over thirty plays, poems, children’s books, and one of her autobiographies, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” (Smelstor and Bruce). “Graduation” starts with Angelou’s generalization of a high school senior’s graduation. She describes how the entire student body, teachers, and community helps the senior class in their last weeks of school. “They came to school without their books, or tablets, or even pencils. Volunteers fell over themselves to secure replacements for the missing equipment” (Angelou 21).

ready to help you now

Without paying upfront

She describes the teachers talking to students as equals and exhibiting more respect towards them as graduation became closer. Angelou compares her school to the white high school. Her school does not have fences to mark its border, has only a few trees to give shade, and has a large area that doubles as a baseball diamond and basketball court. She explains how important the event of graduating from eighth grade is. Girls wearing new dresses if their parents can afford it, decorations hang throughout the school, and speeches are prepared are just a few examples.

Angelou states that at her grandmother’s house she is the center of attention. She receives gifts and a Sunday breakfast on the Friday morning of graduation. Angelou thinks her planning and studying is finally going to pay off. Once Angelou arrives at the school for graduation, her family takes their seats in the crowded auditorium. The school band plays a march for the students to take their seats on the stage. Angelou and her fellow classmates sing the national anthem and recite the Pledge of Allegiance as planned. The choir director and principal hastily motion the students to take their seats.

It is in this brief moment that Angelou realizes her graduation will not turn out how it was planned. The principal welcomes Mr. Edward Donleavy to the stage to speak. Instead of talking to the students about what they should look forward to after their graduation and how it is a great deal of importance to graduate, Donleavy reveals that he has granted wonderful improvements to the white school. Donleavy does not discredit the training school when it comes to first-line football tacklers and basketball players. Angelou goes on to say, “Donleavy had exposed us” (Angelou 28).

He portrays the young girls and boys as merely maids, farmers, handymen, and washerwomen. Angelou feels like being a Negro is awful, and declares that they have no control over their lives. As Angelou’s thoughts are racing through her mind, Donleavy assures the crowd that if he is elected the school will receive new home economics and workshop equipment, as well as having “the only colored paved playing field in that part of Arkansas” (Angelou 29). Angelou understands that Donleavy’s speech is a mere preliminary towards his election. After Donleavy finishes his speech, he leaves as quickly as he entered the auditorium.

The remainder of graduation is lost in the unpleasantness that was left behind. Angelou claims that her own name has lost its meaning. Henry Reed delivers his valedictory address to the students. After his speech, he turns to the graduating class and leads them in singing the Negro national anthem. Angelou testifies that she has never heard the words before, even though she has sung them thousands of times. “We were on top again. As always, again. We survived” (Angelou 31). Angelou expresses that the students can be proud of graduating again and proud to be part of the Negro race. Graduation” is classified as a personal narrative. The themes are identity and education. The essay can be found in Angelou’s autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. ” The autobiography describes how living in the south during the Depression was a time for survival (Ball). The message of “Graduation” is the same; no matter what obstacles arise she will survive. Angelou deserves an “A” for this essay because she has strong examples of overcoming obstacles , sophisticated descriptions, and has a clear sense of purpose with strong development.

Angelou’s example of overcoming adversity is the strongest at the end of the essay. “Something unrehearsed, unplanned, was going to happen, and we were going to be made to look bad” (Angelou 26). As she is sitting there as a young girl at her graduation, she can feel the unwelcoming presence of the speaker’s words and actions. Before the speaker begins his political rant of what he has brought to the white community, Angelou anticipates that the graduating class is going to be shamed. Angelou believes the speaker’s words, and starts to doubt her hopes and dreams. The man’s dead words fell like bricks around the auditorium and too many settled in my belly” (Angelou 28). As Henry Reed starts to sing the Negro national anthem, Angelou finally senses that the words do have meaning to her. Nearly every event that Angelou mentions in her autobiography has one of two different aims. The aim she uses in this essay is how she faces obstacles, overcomes them, and prevails (Ball). Angelou’s sophisticated imageries can be seen in numerous examples throughout the essay. This is her strongest quality in the essay, and makes the essay easier to envision.

Angelou slightly jumps from a general high school senior graduation to her own eighth grade graduation in the beginning of the essay. However, readers can easily close their eyes and imagine what is happening. Most readers can relate to when they were seniors and how it felt to reign over the school. Another example of Angelou’s detailed descriptions is when she talks about her grandmother making her graduation dress. She smocked the yoke into tiny crisscrossing puckers, then shirred the rest of the bodice.

Her dark fingers ducked in and out of the lemony cloth as she embroidered raised daisies around the hem. Before she considered herself finished she has added a crocheted cuff on the puff sleeves, and a pointy crocheted collar (Angelou 22) Angelou’s control of words as she depicts events, like making a dress, recounting the smell of refreshments being made, and seeing the tired faces at graduation bring her stories to life. Angelou’s message of survival is clear in the essay and is presented with thorough explanations and logical ordering.

In an interview, Angelou describes her autobiographical style for readers to understand. I’ve used, or tried to use, the form of the Black minister in storytelling so that each event I write about has a beginning, middle, and an end. And I have tried to make the selections graduate so that each episode is a level, whether of narration or drama, well always dramatic, but a level of comprehension like a staircase (Smelstor and Bruce). This “level of comprehension” sets Angelou apart. As a young black girl growing up in Stamps, graduating from high school was usually as far as people went in their education.

Some may argue that because Angelou grew up during the Depression, and had a child at a young age, that she is not qualified to write. However, she has over thirty published poems, non-fiction stories, and children’s books. All of these writings demonstrate intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growths in Angelou (Smelstor and Bruce). Angelou’s strong examples, complex descriptions, and clear message of survival supported by solid development are why “Graduation” is an “A” essay. Although Donleavy’s words are something Angelou may never forget, they help her find her true self on the graduation stage. The portrayal of Angelou’s search for identity is memorable, and her story of survival is inspiring. Angelou is no longer a singing caged bird.

Cite this page

https://graduateway.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-critique/

You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers

• Mary Wollstonecraft
• Robert Frost
• Wilfred Owen
• Emily Dickinson
• William Faulkner
• Olaudah Equiano
• Robert Browning
• Sherman Alexie
• William Wordsworth
• Kurt Vonnegut
• William Shakespeare
• William Blake
• Henrik Ibsen
• Arthur Miller
• Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Check more samples on your topics

Maya angelou “the graduation” and langston hughes “one friday morning” analysis.

This paper will compare and contrast both the stories and trace out similarities and differences between the two. Basically, both the stories are in reminiscent mood and bear the nostalgic touches with the connotation of ethnic disparity issue. In “The Graduation”, Maya Angelou is remembering back to her high school graduation. She recalls the wonder she

An Analysis of the Story Graduation by Maya Angelou

Anticipation The story "Graduation" by Maya Angelou explores the experience of a young black girl who eagerly awaits her graduation day, only to have her dreams overshadowed by a speech given by Mr. Donleavy, a white man, in which he puts down her race. However, the valedictorian, Henry Reed,

Pathos and Ethos in Graduation, a Short Story by Maya Angelou

Angelou’s "story," Graduation, appeals to both pathos and ethos. Pathos taps into emotions like pity or sadness, while ethos appeals to ethical principles. At the beginning of Angelou’s story, she vividly describes the excitement of her graduation, with every detail contributing to the overall sentiment. For instance, she recounts how her dress was meticulously crafted

‘A Woman’s Work’ By Dorothy Nimmo ‘Woman Work’ by Maya Angelou Analysis

Both poems that we were asked to look at focus on the roles of women and their work.However, the subjects of each poem are very different, and both authors are writing their poem from different perspectives that border completely different cultures. Even though both the poems are about the roles of women, the idea of

Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Poem Analysis

In her autobiography, "Why the Caged Bird Sings," Maya Angelou emphasizes the significance of her religious background and church upbringing in her life and poetry. According to Angelou, her relationship with Jesus became essential when she was feeling unhappy in her marriage, as she found solace and happiness in Him (page 124). Additionally, she expresses

Book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Short Story

Book Review

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

In the book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, there are several women who play very important roles in Marguerite Johnson’s life and development. Marguerite had three women in her life that educated and provided her with useful skills, information, security, religion and love. Momma, Mrs. Flowers, and Ma’ Dear are

Maya Angelou Quote

At some point in life, everyone experiences a sense of unfairness and the need for change. It is crucial to voice complaints or arguments to facilitate this desired transformation. Personally, I have encountered situations where complaining was necessary to make a difference. Historical evidence further supports the efficacy of complaining in driving changes. In my

Maya Angelou Research Paper

Maya Angelou has dedicated her life to stop biass faced by many black females in the twentieth century. As an writer, poet, and entertainer, she is known best for her strong portraiture of Afro-american adult females. Some of her most outstanding work is the series of autobiographies that she wrote stating about her childhood. Her

Maya Angelou – Yet to be United States Sample

United States

When Dr. Maya Angelou read her verse form. “On the Pulse of Morning. ” written particularly for President Bill Clinton’s startup in 1993. the ‘best kept secret in literary circles’ was thoughtfully revealed to the whole universe. She is arguably the most influential adult female of her race. but there is more to Maya Angelou

Hi, my name is Amy 👋

In case you can't find a relevant example, our professional writers are ready to help you write a unique paper. Just talk to our smart assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best match.

Pardon Our Interruption

As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen:

• You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser.
• You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed.
• You've disabled cookies in your web browser.
• A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. Additional information is available in this support article .

To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page.