The Calling of Names

(By: Maya Angelou)

STANZA 1
He went to being called a colored man

After answering to “hey, nigger.”

Now that’s a big jump,

anyway you figger.

Hey, Baby, watch my smoke.

Stanza/Line Lyric Heuristic Meaning Finding

He went to being He: (pronoun) Refers to a The poem begins with
called a colored man male person. the racism that the
Went: (past tense of ‘go’; to Black people received
move or to proceed) during the slavery
To: (prep.) It is used for period.
expressing motion or direction
toward a point, person, place
or thing approached and
reached.
Being: (noun) the state or fact
of existing.
1
Called: (verb) to speak or
utter loudly so as to attract
attention.
a: (indefinite article) a single;
a certain; a particular
Colored: (adj.) A term to
describe a person who has
black or brown skin.
Man: (noun) An adult human
male.

After answering to After: (prep.) Later in time, in The term “nigger” is

“hey, nigger.” succession to.
Answering: (noun) a spoken
or written reply or response to
a question, etc.
2
To: (prep.) It is used for
expressing motion or direction
toward a point, person, place
or thing approached and
reached.
the lowest and most
degrading for African-
American society.
So, when people
calling colored people
by using the “Nigger”,
they are actually
down-grading them.
 Hey: (informal; hello: used as
a greeting)
Nigger: (Noun) Slang;
offensive word, a
contemptuous term used to
refer to a black person.

Now that’s a big Now: (adv.) At the present
jump, time or moment.
That’s: contraction of that is;
a: (indefinite article) a single;
3 a certain; a particular
big: (adj.) Large, as in size.
Jump: (verb) To rise suddenly
or quickly.
The action of calling
colored man to nigger
just because they
respond to it is a big
jump.

anyway you figger. Anyway: (adv.) In any case; In my opinion,

anyhow; nonetheless; Angelou uses the
regardless. word “figger” here to
You: (pronoun) one; anyone; rhyme it with the
people in general. word “nigger”.
Figger: alternative spelling for -According to Urban
4 the word “figure” dictionary, figger is a
sarcasm.
-Figger can be
referred to people
who call the the black
people “nigger”.

Hey, Baby, watch my Hey: informal; hello: used as a In my opinion, this

smoke. greeting. line might refer to
Baby: slang: girl or woman – white supremacy –
often used in address. white people are
Watch: (verb) to keep under superior and
attentive view or observation) dominant than other
My: a form of the possessive races (coloured
5 case of I used by the speaker people).
in referring to himself or
herself.
Smoke: (noun) the visible
vapor and gases given off by a
burning or smouldering
substance.
STANZA 2
From coloured man to Negro,

With the N in caps,

Was like saying Japanese

Instead of saying Japs,

I mean, during the war.

Stanza/ Lyric Heuristic Meaning Findings

Lines
a) From: (prep.) Used as a Angelou portrayed the
function word to indicate a concept of ‘White
starting point of a physical Supremacy’. It is one of
From colored movement or a starting point the discriminations of
man to Negro, in measuring or reckoning or racism idea which put
in a statement of limits. white as the superior to
the non-white.
b) Colored: (adj.) Having a color
or colours, especially as In this poem, Angelou
opposed to being black, white describes how the white
1
or neutral. people start to change
the calling of African-
c) Man: (noun.) An adult human American as they
male. represent their skin.
Thus, from this line, we
d) Negro: (noun.) A member of can see the name
a dark-skinned group of labelling changed from
peoples originally native to colored man to ‘Negro’.
Africa south of the Sahara.

With the N in a) With: (prep.) used as a In my point of view, as

caps, function word to indicate a
participant in an action,
transaction, or arrangement.
b) The: (def. art) used as a
function word to indicate that
2 a following noun or noun
equivalent is definite or has
been previously specified by
context or by circumstances.
this line might referred
back to the previous line,
the letter ‘N’ might stands
for the word ‘Negro’.
The letter N might be one
of the things that is
associated with the
colored people back in
those time.

c) N: (noun.) the 14th letter of

the English alphabet.
 d) In: (prep.) used as a function
word to indicate inclusion,
location, or position within
limits.

e) Caps: (noun.) A head

covering especially with a visor
and no brim.

Was like saying a) Was: Past tense first and third In my point of view, this
Japanese person singular of ‘BE’. line was almost
comparing the scenario,
b) Like: (prep.) having the where people would say
characteristics of similar to. Japanese, to the previous
scenario of people
3 c) Saying: (verb.) to express in labelling black people as
words. Negro.

d) Japanese: (noun.) A native

inhabitant of Japan, a person
of Japanese descent.

Instead of a) Instead: (adv.) As an In this line, it is shown

saying Japs, alternative to something that the word Japanese
expressed or implied. from the previous line
were changed to ‘Japs’.
b) Of: (prep.) Used as function
word to indicate a point of As this line connects from
reckoning. the previous line, I
4
believed that people back
c) Saying: (verb.) to express in in those time preferred to
words. address Japanese people
as ‘Japs’ rather than using
d) Japs: (noun.) Japanese the word ‘Japanese’ itself.
(disparaging + offensive)

I mean, during a) I: (pronoun.) The one who is In this line, Angelou

the war. speaking or writing. might want to tell the
readers that the
b) Mean: (verb.) To have in the ‘Japanese-Japs’ scenario
mind as a purpose. happened during the war.
5
c) During: (prep.) Throughout
the duration of, at a point in
the course of.
 d) The: (def. art) used as a
function word to indicate that
a following noun or noun
equivalent is definite or has
been previously specified by
context or by circumstances.

e) War: (noun.) A state of

usually open and declared
armed hostile between states
or nations.

STANZA 3
The next big step

Was a change for true,

From Negro in caps

To being a Jew

Now, Sing, Yiddish Mama.

Stanza/Lines Lyric Heuristic Meaning Findings

The next big a) The: (determiner) In this context, the guy tries
step Used as a function to make an improvement,
word before a noun advancing or progress
denoting time to towards him.
indicate reference to
what is present or
immediate or is under
consideration.

b) Next: (adj) in the

time, place, or order
1
nearest or
immediately
succeeding.

c) Big: (Adv) a great

force.

d) Step: (Verb) An
advance or movement
made by raising the
foot.
 Was a change a) Was: (past tense) In this context, the guy
for true first- and third-person wanted to transform himself
singular past of for a better reality.
copular verb to be.

b) A: (determiner) used
when mentioning
something for the first
time in a text.

c) Change: (verb) to
2 make radically
different, transform.

d) For: (preposition)
Used as a function
word to indicate
purpose.

e) True: (adj) in
accordance with fact
or reality.

From Negro in a) From: (preposition) The guy wanted to change

Caps used as a function some perspective the title
word to indicate a “negro” that he holds.
starting point of a
physical movement or
an action starts.

b) Negro: (noun) a
member of a dark-
skinned group of
peoples originally
3 native to Africa south
of the Sahara.

c) In: (preposition)
expressing a state or
condition.

d) Caps: (noun) parts of

clothing type, used to
cover face from
sunlight.
 To being a a) To: (preposition) used He wanted that a “negro”
Jew as a function word to can also be a Jew and
indicate purpose. respect him as a person
instead of calling “nigger”
b) Being: (present
participal) continues
be into new religion.

c) A: (determiner) used
when mentioning
4
something for the first
time in a text.

d) Jew: (noun) a
member of the people
and cultural
community whose
traditional religion is
Judism.

Now, Sing, a) Now: (adv) at the Yiddish Mama is a song for

Yiddish Mama. present time or everyone to look back on a
moment. deceased loved one and
thought of all things he
b) Sing: (verb) To would have liked to have
produce musical hold them or done for them,
5
tones by means of a song of regret and lament.
voice. The song was tremendously
popular not only with the
c) Yiddish Mama: (noun) Jewish public but generally.
title of a song.

STANZA 4
Light, Yellow, Brown

and Dark-brown skin,

were okay colors to

describe him then.

He was a Bouquet of Roses.

Stanza/Line Lyric Heuristic meaning Meaning
Light, Yellow,  ‘Light’ in this context These two lines describe
Brown means bright, not about the description of the
dark, intense, or colors of light, yellow,
swarthy in color or brown, and dark-brown
coloring. skin as symbols of race and
 ‘Yellow’ in this complexion (Ikhsani,
context refers to Merina & Syafar, n.d).
having a yellowish or In this context, the
1 light brown distinction of those skin
complexion or skin. colors showed that the
 ‘Brown’ in this racism changes towards
context is a color of different types of races
brown specifically a such as the Black African-
dark or tanned American people and the
complexion; may also Jews, with the same
refer to a brown- intention (“The Calling of
skinned person. Names”, 2015).
and Dark-brown  ‘and’ is used as a
skin, function word to
indicate connection
or addition especially
of items within the
same class or type.
 ‘Dark-brown’ in my
2 opinion is a type of
color in the color of
brown.
 ‘Skin’ may refer to
the natural outer
layer of tissue that
covers the body of a
person or animal.
Were okay colors  ‘were’ is a type of In my opinion, this line
to past tense second- describes that the skin
person singular, past colors above was
tense plural, and past acceptable to be called
subjunctive of ‘be’. for.
 ‘okay’ in this context In this context, the calling
is an adjective which of that names were
3 refer to assenting or acceptable to say at that
agreeing; may also time where the racism was
refer to an approval higher (“The Calling of
or endorsement. Names”, 2015).
 ‘colors’ in this context
is a phenomenon of
light (such as brown)
or visual perception
 that enables one to
differentiate
otherwise identical
objects.
 ‘to’ used as a function
word to indicate that
the following verb is
an infinitive.
Describe him  ‘describe’ means to Referring to the context,
then. represent or give an the author expressed that
account of in words. the calling of the names
 ‘him’ used to refer to were acceptable to refer to
a certain man, boy, the particular person such
4 or male animal as the as the Black African-
object of a verb or American people, with the
preposition. intention of racism.
 ‘then’ in this context
may refer to
‘according to that; as
may be inferred.
He was a  ‘He’ is the third The term “Bouquet of
Bouquet of person of pronoun Roses” suggests a romantic
Roses. which refer only to attraction or even
man. infatuation with these
 ‘was’ is a type of past names such as “nigger” or
tense first- and third- “black”, (“The Calling of
person singular of Names”, 2015).
‘be’. In this context, it was like a
 ‘a’ used as a function sarcastic reference which
word before singular means the names called
5 nouns when the were like a part of his life
referent is that he would love to hear.
unspecified.
 ‘bouquet’ is a bunch
of flowers picked and
fastened together.
 ‘of’ used as a function
word to indicate a
point of reckoning.
 ‘roses’ is a type of
flower.
STANZA 5
He changed his seasons
like an almanac.
Now you’ll get hurt
if you don’t call him “Black.”
Nigguh, I ain’t playin’ this time.

Stanza/ Heuristic Meaning

Lyric Findings
Lines
He changed his e) He: (pronoun.) The male who In this line, the author is
seasons is neither speaker nor hearer. trying to explain to the
reader that the action of
f) Changed: (verb.) To make calling names changed
different in some particular. according to the people.

g) His: (adj.) of or relating himIn my opinion, this line

or himself especially as might have connection
1
possessor, agent, or object ofwith the previous stanza.
an action. The seasons might refer
to as the colors
h) Seasons: (noun.) A time mentioned in line 1 of
characterized by a particular stanza 4.
circumstance or feature.

Like an e) Like: (prep.) Having the In my point of view, the

almanac characteristics of similar to. words almanac here
referred to the word
f) An: (indef. art) The form of ‘seasons’ mentioned
the indefinite article used previously.
before words beginning with a
vowel sound. In this context, instead of
the word ‘almanac’
2
g) Almanac: (noun.) An annual containing important
calendar containing important dates of astronomical
dates and statistical things, it contains the
information such as name of colors of used to
astronomical date and time label non-white people.
tables.

Now you’ll get a) ‘Now’ refers to the present In my opinion, as the

hurt time or moment. time changes, the racist
3
b) ‘you’ll’ is the spoken form of were targeting the Jews
‘you will’.
 c) ‘get’ in this context refers to
an action of receiving
something as a return.
d) ‘hurt’ referring to this context
is to cause emotional pain or
anguish to (offend).
If you don’t call a) ‘if’ may refer to “in the event
him “Black.” that”.
b) ‘you’ is the one or ones being
addressed.
c) ‘don’t’ is the spoken form of
‘do not’ or ‘does not’.
d) ‘call’ in this context means an
action of addressing or
referring (someone) by
4 specified name, title, etc.
e) ‘him’ is a third person
singular that is used as the
object of a verb to refer to a
male person in this context.
f) ‘Black’ in this context refer to
any human group having
dark-colored skin; or relating
to black people or ‘black
culture’.
Nigguh, I ain’t a) ‘Nigguh’ comes from the
playin’ this word ‘nigger’ which is a
time. contemptuous term for a
black or dark-skinned person.
The term ‘Nigguh’ is the
5 dialect spelling of nigger.
b) ‘i’ used by a speaker to refer
to himself or herself.
c) ‘ain’t’ refer to ‘am not’ or ‘has
not’.
instead of the Black
people.
Therefore, these two
lines may refer to the
racist. The author
expressed that at this
time the people who
poses racism will get hurt
if they did not call the
man ‘Black’ like how they
used to.
Referring to the previous
stanza, the man who
were used to be called
‘nigga’ or ‘black’
sarcastically loved to
hear it as the time
changed.
In this line, the author
wrote in a dialect way to
emphasize the
expression. This line
contained meaning of
warning sign to whom
being called racist.
The speaker himself
warned that he will not
taking this matter
carelessly from now on.
 d) ‘playin’’ comes from the
word playing which in this
context may refer to an action
of engaging in activity for
enjoyment.
e) ‘this’ used to identify a
specific thing that were being
indicated.
f) ‘time’ is a measured or
measurable period during
which an action, process, or
condition exists or continues.

REFERENCES

Hardianti R.R. (2016). Racism Reflected in Maya Angelou’s Poem. Journal of English Education
JEE. Vol 1 (1).

Ikhsani, M. M., Merina, Y. & Syafar, D. N. (n.d). Imagery Analysis on Three of Maya Angelou’s
Poems. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/IMAGERY-ANALYSIS-ON-THREE-OF-
MAYA-ANGELOU039S-POEMS.pdf

The Calling of Names (2015, September 22). Retrieved from

http://ayearofangelou.tumblr.com/post/129678071358/the-calling-of-names