CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF POETRYAnalysis of Poem by Maya Angelou Entitled

“Woman Work” by using Marxism Theory

Alfiani Safitri Fira Nursya’bani

Meyza Pritama

Woman Work by Maya Angelou

Text Analysis

Figurative Language

Personification

Stanza 2:Shine on me, sunshineRain on me, rainFall softly, dewdropsAnd cool my brow again.

Stanza 3: Storm, blow me from hereWith your fiercest windLet me float across the sky‘Til I can rest again.

Stanza 4:Fall gently, snowflakesCover me with whiteCold icy kisses andLet me rest tonight.Sun, rain, curving skyMountain, oceans, leaf and stoneStar shine, moon glowYou’re all that I can call my own.

Hyperbola

Imageries

Character and Setting

The character in this poetry is a housewife

The setting is in her own house in America 1960s-1970s

Maya Angelou

Marguerite Annie Johnson

born on 4th April 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri

experienced the brutality of racial discrimination in her childhood

respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1970)Gather Together in My Name (1974)A Song Flung Up To Heaven (2002)

She is also the first African-American woman who wrote a scenario of a movie, Georgia, Georgia (1971)

Source: mayaangelou.com

Marxism Theory

The main principles of Marxist theory:- reality itself can be defined and understood.- society shapes our consciousness.- social and economic conditions influence.- Marxism details a plan for changing the world.

Analysis of “Woman Work” by Maya Angelou by using Marxism theory

Aspects included:

-- Background of the poem-- Society-- Conflict-- Contrary

Background of the Poem

The text is published in August, 12 1978.

The author intended to publish the poem to the public in 1978, included

in And Still I Rise book.

The poem tells about woman in that era where feminism appeared and

the issue about woman as the subordinate.

The author, Maya Angelou is a member of the oppressor, because her

poem tells about woman as she is, and she tries to describe the

woman work and woman feeling about it, through her poem.

The economic issues when the poem published are …

Conflicts

Man creates the ideology of woman work. Man gives what woman

needs, but she has to take care of family includes man.

Woman gets what she needs from man.

Contrary

Woman wants to runaway from her problem.

Woman is set to work at home and taking care of her family.

The main character defies the dominant ideology.

Society

It reveals the class structure of gender.

It reveals the class conflict in the year the poem was created.

It shows that there is a character being oppressed.

Thank you for attention and question ..