Essay Sample on Comparing Two Distinct Authors: Maya Angelou & Harry Belafonte

Introduction

Different authors have different preferred literature. Additionally, there are multiple kinds of literature with different characteristics depending on the authors of the same. For instance, Maya Angelou focused more on poetry and had various distinct strategies compared to Harry Belafonte, who was self-inspired. Additionally, most of his works have no sense of direction compared to Angelou's. With such characteristics, it is easy to compare two distinct authors from different areas. This paper compares the distinct features of Maya Angelou and Harry Belafonte's pieces of literature.

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Maya Angelou was an American poet, a memoirist, and civil rights activist. Most of his works included autobiographies and poetries. As a result, she has been credited with a list of television shows and movies for a long period. The poet has received various honorary degrees for her unique content. One of her works includes "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," where she discusses how her personal life transpired in a diverse culture. Even so, most of her books center on the themes of identity, family, travel, and racism.

Maya Angelou uses distinct styles and narrations in her works. Additionally, her works are acceptable by almost anyone, including the citizens around America and Africa (Johnson 42). Angelou used a common editor for her works over her career, a professional known as Robert Loomis. Maya's first achievement was being the first female black citizen to have a screenplay - Georgia, Georgia. Her works did not limit various demographic factors or favor one or another. She wrote various books for children and adults. Sometimes she could write about her spiritual characteristics and qualities that made her attractive in her own way besides being born black.

Most of Maya Angelou's works can be perceived as responses to contemporary matters such as race and sex on a broader social and psychological dimension. She also challenged herself almost every time while using other people's strategies to meet her own. She tried to speak in the first-person singular and talk about the first-person plural (Angelou 23). For instance, some of her works, including "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," features her saying I in place of we. Even though challenging, she found the concept exciting as it delineated her from other writers of her time. The form of writing used can be described as being an autobiographical one. As she stuck to it, she was unable to change it, make it bigger, richer, and finer (Angelou 23). However, the works implementing the strategy can be considered bestsellers compared to those of other writers of her time. Her works led to her gaining various rewards such as the Libertarian Award. Besides being recognized for her works, she was a usurper of cultural norms and a challenger of prejudice. Sometimes her writing would be influenced by her experiences during calypso singing and dancing. While going through her works, one can also feel the nearly-tangible feeling of speech and conversation.

Maya Angelou was a prolific author and poet who wrote more commonly about her experiences. Furthermore, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" features her childhood and gives a narration following her life to adulthood. In the book, she explains how she was sent by her mother to live with her grandmother without their consent of what was awaiting. In later life, she is attacked by another person and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime (Harvey 129). It is then that she realized how kind she was to others, how she loved herself, the strong spirit she had, and the ideas of other great authors that let her are free, powerful, and more poetic. Maya Angelou was of creative talent and a genius. She cut across various arenas. She was amongst the most celebrated in the US. Because of her humble background, her works are perceived with honesty and grace that could be given to a grown-up young adult.

Harry Belafonte was similarly an activist, a singer, and an actor. He also played the role of a songwriter for various people within the United States. Just as Angelou was recognized for her "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," he was realized by popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience. He has recorded many genres, such as show tunes, blues, folk, and some American standards. He has also participated in various films such as Carmen Jones and Oddest against Tomorrow. He supported the civil rights movement besides being the confidant to Martin Lither King. He has been an advocate. Aside from politics, Belafonte received various Grammy awards such as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an Emmy Award, and the Tony Award.

Contrary to Angelou, who was inspired by experiences, Belafonte usually had no ideas when recording his songs. Sometimes he thought that his song would be spun off as a single before it spread greatly. Some of the works of Belafonte are also collections, just as Maya Angelou wrote. The works of Angelou were natural as she was talented and gifted in her perspective. However, for Belafonte, his works had a tense and singular dynamism. Both stuck to their careers because of the severity of poverty that let them become preoccupied with their survival. While Belafonte was a singer, he was also an actor and entertainer. On the other hand, Maya was mainly a poet but also did some songs and acting. Even with the differences, both had a great vision of becoming the best they wanted for their careers.

Just as Angelou, Belafonte lived in poverty and fretted over his bona fides and the racially mixed origins (Beavers 12). Furthermore, his culture mattered a lot in the burgeoning folk music. Therefore, most of his music is founded on humble origins. Sometimes he records songs as an introduction of themselves to Belafonte's music as well as promoting a lifelong belief in the underrated areas such as racial unity and gender diversity. He also incorporates some items in his works, such as joy and pathos. Among his works that feature distinct resources include the Day-O. His interest was making taste politicized. Most of the time, he was anxious about how treacherous it was to confuse consumption and action. He eventually became civil-rights activists just as Maya Angelou. However, he dealt with the issues facing the 1960s generation.

Belafonte and Angelou sometimes used great opening phrases for their works. Angelou wrote a poem that followed various literary devices, whereas Belafonte used haunting opening verses to his songs. This made his songs stand out to generations. Besides, their works are perceived as the achievements of great history. However, Belafonte's performances were captivating as they sent his career spiraling into the air. His songs had a deeper meaning than can be perceived from a general perspective (Hartsough 9). For instance, his "Banana Beat Song" detailed the perils of dock work. On the other hand, Angelou made sure to make legacy statements in his poems and other pieces in literature. For the case of Belafonte, he ensured that his songs underscored the curious ironies of his success. He could later be referred to like the music phenomenon of his time.

Belafonte was not interested in arts as the path to fame and riches. However, he made used art to express himself throughout his career and talent. Therefore, to him, art was a means of a social mechanism that assisted in effecting change. Additionally, Belafonte started his entertainment career as an actor and cited various lectures that reinforced his capabilities in singing (Hartsough 10). For Maya, things were different as she was naturally gifted to writing. She always wrote what came to her mind, and the content looked original and professional. In Belafonte's works, the content reveals how he built his career and his very life. However, Angelou gives her life experiences and the harsh conditions that she passed through before becoming who she was. While Belafonte associated with multifaceted entertainers, Maya Angelou opted to be independent and follow a single style in all her works. Therefore, most of her poetry seemed to resemble each other, only differing in content and meaning.

Belafonte's and Maya's works can be used by modern artists. For instance, some of the music done by Belafonte has been associated with those of Pitbull and Jason Derulo. On the other hand, Maya's works remain distinct on their own, and her works can only be used in schools for literary analysis and similar applications. In most of her works, there is a message for the subsequent generations where she advises almost all the young dissents who take up the civil rights movement. If people would talk about the lack of a poetic or musical center in the modern movements, the issue is framed as the critique of modern artists who have self-empowerment and self-growth, such as Belafonte and Maya.

Belafonte found his power through music, whereas Angelou found her power through her poetic career (Hartsough 9). Even so, both of these perspectives led them to be activists. Additionally, the two authors used to stress a mutual and shared experience through music and poems. In times of anger, people can be brought close to each other. Both authors were confident that they were meant to be successful through their talented careers. Even by attaining power, the path towards their attainment was not a sure one. Both came from humble backgrounds, yet areas that supported their talent and abilities. Their works are artistic. However, Maya's works are more artistic compared to Belafonte's as her content was original and describing her experiences in life.

Maya Angelou and Harry Belafonte have had different perspectives in their literature. Maya Angelou had a lot of content compared to Belafonte, who sang without having particular content. Therefore, his pieces have had no sense of direction than Angelou's. Even so, both were civil rights activists in the long run and ended up setting their reputation. The most renowned work of Maya is "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," whereas that of Belafonte is the "Banana Beat Song." These two pieces have been distinct in content and literary devices. While Maya's has content, Belafonte wanted to entertain his followers. Both were from poor backgrounds, but Maya was inspired by experiences, whereas Belafonte ignored most of them. Even though both authors' works could be used in the contemporary period, Maya Angelou remains renowned for her content compared to Belafonte, who had little-to-no sense of direction.

Works Cited

Angelou, Maya. Maya Angelou's I know why the caged bird sings: A casebook. Oxford University Press on Demand, 1999.

Beavers, Karen. Leadman holler: Harry Belafonte and the culture industry. University of Southern California, 2008.

Hartsough, David. "Civil Rights Reunion Offers Inspiration for the Future." Fellowship, vol. 76, no. 4-6, 2010, pp. 8-45.

Harvey, LaResse. "Creativity inside and outside prison walls: A journey of inspiration." International Journal of Community Music, vol. 3, no. 1, 2010, pp. 129-132.

Johnson, Frank. The Very Best of Maya Angelou: The Voice of Inspiration. Frank Johnson, 2014.