A collection of powerful and extraordinary poetry by one of the greatest poets of all time.
Dr. Angelou’s work shows her incredible storytelling ability and in this collection you’ll discover stories about her life and where she came from. They are beautifully wrapped in powerful deep lines that immerse you into love, freedom, pain, struggles, and womanhood.
Here are parts of some of my favourites:
"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 rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise." - Still I Rise
Watch her recite the poem:
"My life ain't heaven
but it sure ain't hell.
I'm not on top
but I call it swell
if I'm able to work
and get paid right
and have the luck to be Black
on a Saturday night," - Weekend Glory
"And now I'll tell you my Golden Rule,
I was born to work but I ain't no mule.
I was born to work up to my grave
But I was not born
To be a slave." - One more round.
There are sixty poems in this collection, including the most famous ones like Phenomenal Woman and Caged Bird.
This collection is as good as her autobiography, in that you discover a lot about her through this beautiful and compelling collection.
For poetry lovers, it’s a short book. It can be read in one day but it’s good enough to be read over and over again. It might also inspire you to try her other books, which you will definitely enjoy.
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