Literary Canon of Maya Angelou - Essay Example

? The so called ‘literary canon’ is an ever-evolving catalogue of the most important, prestigious and talented who have ever written in the English language, and to have one of your works described as ‘canonical’ is probably one of the best praises a writer could ever receive. Any number of factors could lead to a writer’s work being included in the canon, including ingenuity and creativity, artistic merit, cultural importance, historical importance, public popularity, or some mixture of the above traits. Though it is impossible to identify exactly what leads to a writer being worthy of inclusion into the literary canon, it is sometimes completely obvious that a writer is deserving of the honor. This is certainly the case for Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and raised in Arkansas, and first became well known for her autobiography, I Know why the Caged Bird Sings, written in 1969 (Maya Angelou – Official Site). Though she has many individual achievements that probably would have made her worthy for her inclusion in the literary canon, it is the breadth of achievements across the course of her career that make her inclusion so obvious and uncontroversial. Soon after publishing her first autobiography, Angelou went on to publish a book of poetry in 1971, followed by appearances on stage and in television, as well as writings in children’s literature, books of essays, plays, and more autobiographies. Maya warrants inclusion in the literary canon because of her literary accomplishments in a wide array of literary fields, her singular artistic achievement and her historical importance both to the civil rights movement and as a representative of the literature of that movement. One of the primary reasons Maya Angelou must be included in the English literary canon is the simple fact that she had a significant impact on her society through her prolific and high-profile writing. Even without considering critical recognition, the sheer volume of Angelou’s works is astounding. To this point, she has published no less than seven autobiographies, seventeen books of poetry, six children’s books, and almost a dozen plays, in addition to the incredible amounts of writing she has done for film and television (Maya Angelou – Official Site). In addition to this she has performed frequently as an actress on stage and in film, directed several films and acted as a recording artist for the scores of many of the plays she has performed in (Maya Angelou – Official Site). This volume of work in and of itself is an argument for Angelou’s inclusion in the literary canon. It is simply impossible to be such a prolific and published author/screenwriter etc. without having a great impact on the society in which you live. Furthermore, Maya Angelou also frequently got her work into the public imagination through a number of high-profile displays, the most important of which was probably her reading her own poem during Bill Clinton’s Inaugural address in 1993 (Hagen, 93). Maya Angelou’s prolific, high-profile writing, indicates that she has had a significant impact on her society, which is a major part of the reasons Maya Angelou should be included in the literary canon of English literature. While Maya Angelou’s prolific writing is certainly impressive, , it is also important to note that her writing was not just prolific, but also extremely well esteemed, as documented especially by the incredible number of awards she has won for her work. The first major recognition she received was the National Book Award for her first book ever published the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which she almost won in 1970. Probably her most commonly known recognition is her nomination for a Pulitzer Prize, one of the highest prizes in literature for her first book of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie, published in 1971 (Hagen, 8). Other important awards she has won for her writing include the Langston Hughes Metal, given to her in 1991 in recognition of her primacy as an engaging African American writer, along with a Tony Award nomination in 1973 for her work in the play Look Away. This award-winning praise is paired with a high degree of importance assigned to her work by academics: her works are required readings in many literature courses and she has been the subject of whole issues of academic journals devoted to her texts (Gabbin, 19). So not only is Maya Angelou and incredibly prolific writer who through sheer volume of output has had a significant impact on her society, but she is also a very highly respected writer who won and has been nominated for many awards for her excellence. Angelou’s amazingly prolific career, when combined with her extraordinary academic importance and critical praise, paint the picture of an author who is so culturally, commercially and academically important that it would be wrong not to include her in the literary canon. While it may seem from the combination of great quantity, quality, critical and academic praise of Maya Angelou’s writing would guarantee her consideration for inclusion in the English Literary canon, it is also important to note her historical importance. Often a writer can be important to the literary canon not because of some particular trait their writing had, but because of how important their writing and presence was to a particular point in time. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair for instance is a part of the English language literary canon because of its representation of horrible city life for low-income families around the turn of the last century, while Charles Dickens work is important not only because of its literary merit but because of its representation of the problems in early Victorian society in which he lived. Using these metrics, reading and study of Maya Angelou’s works are important for understanding the civil rights movement in the United States (Cudjoe, 37). According to literary critic Selwyn R. Cudjoe, the central issue to all of Maya Angelou’s autobiographies is “what it means to be Black and female in America,” a problem that she discusses throughout her writing career (Cudjoe, 21). Reading her autobiographies, which were published over a thirty-three year span thus gives an evolving picture of black life in America throughout that time period, from the perspective one of the most eloquent people living then. This, combined with her political essays and works of political poetry, made Maya Angelou one of the most important people to the civil rights movement, as recognized by her being inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame and the Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Association National Award. So while Maya Angelou’s works are certainly potent enough to stand their own ground and be admired for their literary achievement, her fundamental importance to the history of the civil rights movement and her first-hand account of Black life in America throughout her live make her important in an entirely different way, and make her inclusion in the literary canon nearly impossible to deny. No one group or body decides one what makes up the English language literary canon – it is formed perpetually by teachers assigning books, average people reading them, academics studying them and authors looking to them for inspiration. By any of these metrics, Maya Angelou must be included in the English language literary canon. Firstly, she was an incredibly prolific writer and artist who produced a myriad of works in all different genres, from plays to poems, novels to television. Secondly, the sheer gravity of her mass of work is augmented by the fact that this work was and remains incredibly well respected: she has won and been nominated for numerous prestigious awards for her work, her works have been assigned by countless university professors, and academics all treat her work as highly important. Finally, Maya Angelou was an important writer in one of the most important moments in American History, the Civil Rights Movement, and her chronicles of this truly important time seal her lasting importance as one of the best writers the English language has ever known. Works Cited Cudjoe, Selwyn R. "Maya Angelou and the Autobiographical Statement". In Black Women Writers (1950–1980): A Critical Evaluation, Mari Evans, ed. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. 1984. Hagen, Lyman B. Heart of a Woman, Mind of a Writer, and Soul of a Poet: A Critical Analysis of the Writings of Maya Angelou. Lanham, Maryland: University Press. 1997. "Maya Angelou." Maya Angelou - The Official Website. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. . Gabbin, Joanne V. “Maya Angelou – The Peoples’ Poet Laureate: An Introduction.” The Langston Hues Review 19. 2005. Read More