Exploring Maya Angelou’s ‘On the Pulse of the Morning’

In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked Angelou to write, and perform, a poem at his inauguration. Perhaps President Clinton asked Angelou because of her importance as an American poet and civil rights activist. Angelou wrote on 'On the Pulse of the Morning', a poem focusing on America's past, and its future. 'On the Pulse of the Morning' emphasises the idea that Americans should see each other as equals, and practice kindness. Angelou followed a strict writing routine: rising early and working with minimal distractions for a full morning.