Alone (Maya Angelou poem) Essay Questions

How does the use of repetition in "Alone" affect the tone and overall impact of the poem?

When the speaker repeats the key stanza about loneliness, her feelings are given emphasis. She is sad to the point of desperation, and she is lamenting her solitude. At the same time, she demonstrates conviction in her beliefs by repeating that nobody—absolutely nobody—can survive in such a state. The repetition of this stanza highlights the speaker’s certainty about her feelings. In addition, this repetition makes the poem resemble a religious or blues song—two themes (religion and the blues) that are touched upon in the poem.

How might the themes and concerns addressed in this poem apply to society today? Do you think people are still lonely and deprived of human connection?

Maya Angelou wrote this poem in the 1970s. This was a turbulent time around the world, marked by wars, racial tensions, sexism, and other issues. Angelou describes the sadness of the speaker as a byproduct of isolation. On a grander scale, she is suggesting that the entire human race is afflicted by the speaker's issues and that everyone is suffering due to their isolation. This isolation can signify the lack of communication between people of different races, countries, sexes, and the like. When people do not empathize with one another and find a common ground, everyone retreats into their shells and lives in painful solitude.

One might argue that today, many of the societal issues that persisted during Angelou's lifetime sadly continue to exist. Racism and war are rampant around the world, and even technology has created a new kind of isolation that did not exist in the 1970s. More than ever, people rely on smartphones, social media, and email to remain connected to the world. However, this kind of contact is impersonal, depriving people of real human contact and actually causing depression.