Maya Angelou, a prominent American poet and author, is celebrated for her timeless collection of poems. Born Marguerite Anne Johnson in January 1928, she left an indelible mark on literature and culture.
Alongside her autobiographical works, Angelou’s poetic prowess shone brightly, captivating readers with heartfelt verses and profound insights. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and other poetic gems exemplify her literary genius.
Embracing social causes and inspiring change, Maya Angelou’s poems continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, leaving a lasting impact on generations.
‘Still I Rise’ is an inspiring and emotional poem that’s based around Maya Angelou’s experiences as a Black woman in America. It encourages readers to love themselves fully and persevere in the face of every hardship.
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
‘Awaking in New York’ by Maya Angelou is filled with beautiful imagery. She depicts what it is like to wake up in New York City from a specific point of view.
Curtains forcing their will
against the wind,
children sleep,
‘Caged Bird’, or ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ as the poem is sometimes referred to, by Maya Angelou, is arguably one of the most moving and eye-opening poems ever written.
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
‘Phenomenal Woman’ by Maya Angelou defies the stereotypes women are often faced with today. It is a poem filled with strength and determination.
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
‘Woman Work’ by Maya Angelou is a poem that celebrates women’s strength. It uses natural imagery to speak on this topic and various others.
I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
‘When Great Trees Fall’ by Maya Angelou speaks about loss as a tragic yet inevitable part of the human experience. When it strikes, it leaves despair and misery in its path.
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
‘Africa’ by Maya Angelou uses an extended metaphor to describe the continent of Africa. She draws attention to the complex social-political climate.
Thus she had lain
sugercane sweet
deserts her hair
golden her feet
‘Equality’ by Maya Angelou is an uplifting poem with a positive message. It speaks movingly about the possibilities of the future.
You declare you see me dimly
through a glass which will not shine,
though I stand before you boldly,
trim in rank and marking time.
‘On Aging’ by Maya Angelou explores what it means to get old. The speaker is honest and direct, confronting the reader with the truth about age.
When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don’t think I need your chattering.
I’m listening to myself.
‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’ by Maya Angelou is a memorable poem that focuses on a child. She takes the reader into this child’s mind who expresses superior courage.
Shadows on the wall
Noises down the hall
Life doesn't frighten me at all
‘A Brave and Startling Truth’ by Maya Angelou is a commonly quoted poem about humanity’s future. The poet alludes to the “truth” that humanity will arrive at when “we” realize we are the one true wonder of the world.
We, this people, on a small and lonely planet
Traveling through casual space
Past aloof stars, across the way of indifferent suns
To a destination where all signs tell us
The speaker in ‘A Conceit’ by Maya Angelou indicates she is interested in a relationship that is real and tangible. This is not something she’s willing to back down from.
Give me your hand
Make room for me to lead and follow
to lead and follow
‘Alone’ by Maya Angelou is a moving poem. It explores the topics of solitude and loneliness in a way that all readers should be able to relate to.
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
‘Harlem Hopscotch’ by Maya Angelou is a thoughtful poem. It explores what it’s like to grow up Black in Harlem, New York.
One foot down, then hop! It's hot.
Good things for the ones that's got.
Another jump, now to the left.
Everybody for hisself.
‘Human Family’ by Maya Angelou expresses an incredibly relatable message about family. The poet speaks broadly about the world, unity, and how we are all connected to one another.
I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.
Maya Angelou’s ‘In and Out of Time’ is a touching depiction of a powerful relationship between two people who have overcome adversity.
The sun has come.
The mist has gone.
We see in the distance...
our long way home.
‘On the Pulse of Morning’, famous till today for the emotive and forceful recitation of the poem by Maya Angelou, is one of the U.S. presidential inauguration poems.
A Rock, A River, A Tree
Hosts to species long since departed,
Marked the mastodon,
The dinosaur, who left dried tokens
‘Our Grandmothers’ by Maya Angelou explores understanding and acceptance. It includes themes of family and relationships.
She lay, skin down in the moist dirt,
the canebrake rustling
with the whispers of leaves, and
loud longing of hounds and
‘Passing Time’ by Maya Angelou explores the similarities between all people. It uses figurative language to depict skin tones as “dawn” and “dusk.”
Your skin like dawn
Mine like musk
‘Savior’ by Maya Angelou is a thoughtful religious poem. It explores the past and present while emphasizes the changes that have occurred since Christ was crucified.
Petulant priests, greedy
centurions, and one million
incensed gestures stand
between your love and me.
‘The Lesson’ by Maya Angelou is about life and death. The speaker begins the poem by claiming that she has died already, more than once, and that she will keep on dying.
I keep on dying again.
Veins collapse, opening like the
Small fists of sleeping
Children.
‘The Mothering Blackness’ by Maya Angelou is a poem about motherhood and love. The poet uses unforgettable images within this piece that portray the complexities of relationships.
She came home running
back to the mothering blackness
deep in the smothering blackness
white tears icicle gold plains of her face
‘These Yet To Be United States’ by Maya Angelou explores the complexities of the United States. The poet suggests that the country has not lived up to its potential.
Tremors of your network
cause kings to disappear.
Your open mouth in anger
makes nations bow in fear.
‘Touched By An Angel’ by Maya Angelou is a poem about love. It explores how hard it is to find and what it does not solve once acquired.
We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
‘Weekend Glory’ by Maya Angelou explores important themes of identity and happiness. She uses the weekend as a way to explore what’s truly “glorious” and what’s not.
Some clichty folks
don't know the facts,
posin' and preenin'
and puttin' on acts,
Maya Angelou’s ‘When I Think About Myself’ is a thoughtful and important poem about the way one speaker handles the darkest parts of her life.
When I think about myself,
I almost laugh myself to death,
My life has been one great big joke,
A dance that’s walked
‘When You Come’ by Maya Angelou is a powerful piece about a past love. The poet uses figurative language to emphasize the experience of reliving the past.
When you come to me, unbidden,
Beckoning me
To long-ago rooms,
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