RHIAN DENISSE U. ALFORJA
GRADE 11- GALILEO
21st Century Literature
Critique Essay:
I. Background Information
A. Information about the Work
1. Title:
2. Author:
3. Purpose of the Poem: Provide
evidence; extract lines from the poem.
“Equality”
Maya Angelou
The poem “Equality” by Maya Angelou is all about equality,
and it expresses her disagreement with racism and that
everyone should be treated equally.
Additionally, the verse "You declare you see me dimly
through a glass which will not shine" highlights how excluded
individuals often feel discriminated and ignored.
4. Theme:
The theme of the poem is all about Equality wherein the
author attempts to convey her thoughts on how essential it is
for everyone to be treated equally and free from racism,
discrimination, and segregation, regardless of gender or
social status.
II. Summary: Write the issues being
raised in the poem.
The poem “Equality” is about how some people lack and
behave indifferently to things like equality in treatment. It also
discusses how black women are regarded and treated in the
eyes of men and seeks for an end to gender and racial
discrimination.
III. Interpretation and Evaluation
A. Style of the Author
The author addresses her message in the poem by capturing
the feelings of the audience to enable them to feel the story
behind the poem and allow them to visualize her words in an
image form through the use of imagery, repetition, and
metaphor.
B. Success in Persuading the
Audience:
Angelou's poem became an eye opener to the audience
since it reflects the necessity of equality within every
individual. The poem's emotional appeal draws the attention
of the readers because of the repeated use of the phrase,
“Equality, and I will be free.” Wherein Angelou uses it as a
symbol for a call to action, but she stops in calling for the end
of injustice and discrimination since she emphasizes that
acknowledging inequality is the first step towards achieving
equality.
IV. Reflection
As a reader, Maya Angelou's poem "Equality" addresses the
ongoing struggle for fairness and equal treatment and serves
as a reminder that no one should have to endure
discrimination and unfairness from others. Additionally, as a
teenager and student, this encourages me to value everyone
and continuously pushes me to treat everyone with dignity
and respect.
RHIAN DENISSE U. ALFORJA
GRADE 11- GALILEO
21st Century Literature
“EQUALITY”
In recent times, many of us have experienced unequal treatment from our
colleagues simply due to their gender, social standing, or even because of our
physical characteristics, skin color, to be specific, and in a world full of judgments,
discrimination, and criticism, how will we truly survive this kind of society? Which is
one of the main reasons why Maya Angelou wrote the poem Equality. The poem
equality emphasizes the necessity of fair and equal treatment in our society. It
expresses her opposition to racism and her belief that everyone deserves equal
treatment. Furthermore, the verse "You declare you see me dimly through a glass
which will not shine" emphasizes how marginalized individuals frequently feel
discriminated against and disregarded. It further illustrates that no one should feel left
out or neglected. Additionally, it also talks about how males view and treat Black
women and works to eradicate racial and gender inequality. In order to convey her
message, the author uses imagery, repetition, and metaphor to evoke strong
emotions in the reader. This helps the reader feel the tale behind the poetry and
envision her words. This poem opened my eyes as a student and as an individual
since it emphasizes the value of equality for all people. Because Maya Angelou
emphasizes that acknowledging inequality is the first step towards achieving equality,
she uses the phrase "Equality, and I will be free" repeatedly to attract readers'
attention to the poem's emotional appeal. Angelou uses it as a symbol for a call to
action, but she stops brief of calling for the end of injustice and discrimination. This
constantly motivates me to treat everyone with respect and dignity and inspires me to
value them all.