Maya Angelou is an author and poet who became famous for her emotionally charged novels and her deep, heartfelt poetry. His novels focus primarily on his life and humanity, with particular attention to his ideas about what it means to live. It's amazing how he uses many different styles to capture and hold readers' attention through something as simple as an autobiography. This command of the English language and the grace with which he writes makes for an enjoyable reading experience. Her style is particularly prominent in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", where the early events of Angelou's life are vividly described to the reader in postmodern literary style. To understand the works of Maya Angelou, one must first understand the postmodern time. period. Postmodernism began in the early 1940s and continues to the present day. A main feature of this time period is the analysis of human nature (postmodernism of the 1940s). According to the Public Broadcasting Service, “French theorist Jean-François Lyotard succinctly defined postmodernism as [ . . . ] a skepticism towards the 'grand narratives' that seek to explain and chart human life and history” (1940s Postmodernism). Beyond that, postmodern writing focuses on issues happening in the present rather than seeking answers to large-scale, in-depth ideas. By maintaining focus on current issues, the new knowledge that is formed is not acquired simply to know it, but to apply it (Klages). Another important feature of postmodern literature is the mixture of styles. Many literary styles such as “[ . . . ] tone, point of view, register and logical sequence; seemingly random unexpected intrusions and [ . . ...... middle of paper ......ya_angelou/poems/498>.Metzger, Sheri E. Critical Essay on "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." 2001. CengageLearning. March 22, 2010 Web.Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. FamousPoetsandPoems.com. March 22, 2010 Web. .Scott, Edurne. Understanding postmodernism. March 30, 2009. Suite 101. March 22, 2010 Web.Smith, Sidonie Ann. The Song of a Caged Bird: Maya Angelou's Quest for Self-Acceptance. 1997. Cengage Learning. March 22, 2010 Web.Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. FamousPoetsandPoems.com. March 22, 2010 Web. .Touched by an angel by Maya Angelou. FamousPoetsandPoems.com. March 22, 2010 Web. .1940 Present Postmodernism. Mar. 2007. Public Broadcasting Service. March 22, 2010 Web.