18 pages • 36 minutes read
On the Pulse of Morning
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Literary Devices
Form and Meter
Angelou composed "On the Pulse of the Morning" in free verse, which reflects its intended purpose as a spoken and performed poem. Free verse allows for a natural flow of themes and ideas, reflecting a more modern and conversational tone that seeks to connect to a broader audience. In addition to the simple directness of free verse, Angelou also uses common spoken word devices like repetition, alliteration, and enjambment that add a subtle structure and give the poem a tangible sound and cadence. The poem is intended to be heard aloud and was performed by Angelou herself.
Personification
The entire poem is built upon the personification of nature. Angelou personifies the rock, the river, and the tree, giving each one a distinct voice that directly addresses humanity with words of comfort and wisdom. This works well in the poem because it borrows heavily from the oral myth tradition, which often personifies nature and gives it a voice through storytelling. She also personifies nature to make its various pronouncements throughout the poem come from a neutral, natural place. It is nature, not an unnamed narrator, that presents the poem’s messages of unity, courage, and hope.
Angelou also personifies the horizon at the end of the poem. She uses the final image of the horizon leaning forward and “offering you space to place new steps of change” (Line 94) as a final piece of naturalistic imagery designed to inspire hope and courage as America heads into a new era.
Even the title of the poem and the final stanza where Angelou writes, “Here, on the pulse of this new day” (Line 101) includes personification. Angelou describes the day as having a heartbeat, further emphasizing the poem’s thematic emphasis on the connection of humanity to its origins in nature.
Metaphor
“On the Pulse of Morning” functions as one extended metaphor for America. Angelou uses nature imagery to present her message of unity, hope, and courage. The rock, the river, the tree, and the horizon all function as metaphors for various things, including the earth, humanity, the past, the future, and the values the poem espouses.
In addition to these personified natural images, Angelou also uses darkness and light throughout the poem to convey her themes. The contrast between the dark and the light helps highlight the distinction between the past and the present, which is central to the poem’s message. Early in the poem, for example, Angelou ends the first stanza with the powerful line about the fate of the dinosaurs, which “Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages” (Line 8), and she uses language in the next two stanzas like “shadow” (Line 12), “hiding place down here” (Line 13), "bruising darkness” (Line 16), and “face down in ignorance” (Line 18). All of these words, phrases, and images present a world that is either naturally dark or made dark by human action. Angelou opens with this kind of world to highlight the danger of not facing the future and remaining stuck in the past.
But later in the poem, Angelou urges her listeners to rise out of the darkness and see the light. She contrasts nightmares to dreams (Lines 65-66), speaks of “this bright morning dawning for you” (Line 73), “This day breaking for you” (Line 79), and at the end of the poem she speaks of the grace that comes from looking up and out. This contrasts with the beginning of the poem where people are looking down and within. The meaning here is that when one looks up to the sky and out to the horizon, they look forward to the future, whereas when one looks down, they look into the darkness of the past.
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By Maya Angelou
