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Maya Angelou: Voices in Poetry
Examines the life and accomplishments of the African American writer, performer, and teacher and includes a selection of her poetry.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2003
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March 12, 2012
Text Summary
In her poetry, Maya Angelou reflects the African American experience and the voices of those who have been oppressed historically. She captures the spirit and resilience of the African American woman in her poem “Still I Rise”: “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise.” In “Letters to an Aspiring Junkie,” Angelou exposes the problems occurring within the streets of her community: “The streets? Climb into the streets, man, like you climb into the ass end of a lion. Then it’s fine. It’s a bug-a-loo and a shing-a-ling, African dreams on a buck-and-a-wing and a prayer. That’s the streets, man, nothing’s happening.” In “On the Pulse of Morning”, the poem that Angelou read at former president Bill Clinton’s Presidential Inauguration, Angelou invites citizens of the world to unite as one through the imagery of the river: “Across the wall of the world, of reverse stings a beautiful song. It says, com, rest here by my side.” Angelou’s poems reflect the human spirit and human emotions felt by all.
Literary Merits
This book is one of a series called “Voices in Poetry.” In the book, the combination of biographical information written by Patricia Kirkpatrick and illustrations and photographs provided by John Thompson allow for a rich reading experience. Each excerpt of the Angelou’s writing is accompanied by some sort of visual, whether it be a painting, or a photograph. The text as well as the visuals allow the reader to feel and understand the emotions of Angelou’s poems and stories. The biographical information, excerpts from Angelou’s writing, and visuals are chronologically ordered, which helps the reader to see the transformation and growth in Angelou’s life and works. Furthermore, through all of these formats combined, the reader can see the impact of society and Angelou’s personal life on her writing.
Classroom Recommendations
Grades 5 and up. Maya Angelou’s works should be included in any unit of poetry, especially a unit highlighting voices of the Civil Rights Movement, empowering female voices, or a unit about Harlem and the Jazz Age. It is important for students to see how an artist’s life and the society they live in impact their work. The author of this text does a nice job of including relevant background information to help serve this purpose. The illustrator as well, contributes to this through photographs and other visuals.
In her poetry, Maya Angelou reflects the African American experience and the voices of those who have been oppressed historically. She captures the spirit and resilience of the African American woman in her poem “Still I Rise”: “You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I’ll rise.” In “Letters to an Aspiring Junkie,” Angelou exposes the problems occurring within the streets of her community: “The streets? Climb into the streets, man, like you climb into the ass end of a lion. Then it’s fine. It’s a bug-a-loo and a shing-a-ling, African dreams on a buck-and-a-wing and a prayer. That’s the streets, man, nothing’s happening.” In “On the Pulse of Morning”, the poem that Angelou read at former president Bill Clinton’s Presidential Inauguration, Angelou invites citizens of the world to unite as one through the imagery of the river: “Across the wall of the world, of reverse stings a beautiful song. It says, com, rest here by my side.” Angelou’s poems reflect the human spirit and human emotions felt by all.
Literary Merits
This book is one of a series called “Voices in Poetry.” In the book, the combination of biographical information written by Patricia Kirkpatrick and illustrations and photographs provided by John Thompson allow for a rich reading experience. Each excerpt of the Angelou’s writing is accompanied by some sort of visual, whether it be a painting, or a photograph. The text as well as the visuals allow the reader to feel and understand the emotions of Angelou’s poems and stories. The biographical information, excerpts from Angelou’s writing, and visuals are chronologically ordered, which helps the reader to see the transformation and growth in Angelou’s life and works. Furthermore, through all of these formats combined, the reader can see the impact of society and Angelou’s personal life on her writing.
Classroom Recommendations
Grades 5 and up. Maya Angelou’s works should be included in any unit of poetry, especially a unit highlighting voices of the Civil Rights Movement, empowering female voices, or a unit about Harlem and the Jazz Age. It is important for students to see how an artist’s life and the society they live in impact their work. The author of this text does a nice job of including relevant background information to help serve this purpose. The illustrator as well, contributes to this through photographs and other visuals.
September 8, 2010
I found this book one day while browsing through the non-fiction section of my library. I am very familiar with Maya Angelou's work ("And Still I Rise" and "Phenomenal Woman" are two of the most powerful poems ever written), but I didn't know much about her personal life. This book is a good introduction to Angelou for young readers, and includes photos, art, poetry and personal quotes.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews