18 pages 36 minutes read

Maya Angelou

On the Pulse of Morning

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1993

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman (2021)

In this poem performed for the inauguration of Joe Biden in 2021, Amanda Gorman echoes many of the themes that Angelou explores in “On the Pulse of Morning.” She highlights the struggles and inequalities of the past and present while also focusing on the hope for the future. Gorman also encourages the need for courage in facing the future and past. One difference between Gorman’s poem and Angelou’s is that Gorman is very clear in identifying contemporary issues, such as the January 6th insurrection attempt by Trump supporters in Washington, DC. Nevertheless, the poem follows Angelou’s example of contrasting the past with the future and setting a hopeful tone for the incoming administration.

The Gift Outright” by Robert Frost (1923)

Frost’s inauguration poem for John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration is a poem he wrote decades earlier. During the inauguration, Frost was supposed to read an original poem he had written for the event but the weather made it impossible for him to read his paper, so he read “The Gift Outright” from heart. This poem contrasts Angelou’s and Gorman’s because it is almost entirely focused on the past.

Related Titles

By Maya Angelou

Study Guide

logo

A Brave And Startling Truth

Maya Angelou

A Brave And Startling Truth

Maya Angelou

Plot Summary

logo

All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes

Maya Angelou

All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes

Maya Angelou

Plot Summary

logo

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Maya Angelou

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Maya Angelou

Plot Summary

logo

Gather Together in My Name

Maya Angelou

Gather Together in My Name

Maya Angelou

Study Guide

logo

Letter to My Daughter

Maya Angelou

Letter to My Daughter

Maya Angelou

Study Guide

logo

Mom & Me & Mom

Maya Angelou

Mom & Me & Mom

Maya Angelou

Study Guide

logo

Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me

Maya Angelou

Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me

Maya Angelou

Plot Summary

logo

Phenomenal Woman

Maya Angelou

Phenomenal Woman

Maya Angelou

Study Guide

logo

The Heart of a Woman

Maya Angelou

The Heart of a Woman

Maya Angelou

Study Guide

logo

The Lesson

Maya Angelou

The Lesson

Maya Angelou