Maya Angelou is a remarkable woman. For those of you who have not heard of her, Maya Angelou is an inspirational poet and writer who is universally acclaimed. She is also hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary black literature. She has the ability with her words, to cut through the race, class divide. Her poetry is elegant and fiery, her rhythms are captivating, and her words stunning and poignant. She reaches through to the very soul of the reader. Proud and strong, she tells of the past bondage of the black race, of the need to be free, and her voice to be heard.

Her poetry is spiritually uplifting, and full of hope. It is also extremely motivational. Her imagery is vivid and urgent, and demands to be visualised. An example of the trapped spirit of Maya longing for her freedom is to be seen in this Poem, which is one of my favourites. 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings', tells of repression and hope, and is rich in metaphor. Here you can feel the trapped spirit crying out to be freed from its chains.

- I know why the caged bird sings -

The free bird leaps
On the back of the win
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou.

Maya Angelou is an African American. Born in 1928, she has written five autobiographical books on her life as a black child and woman, living and surviving in America during the time of Segregation. She was to become the first black cable car conductor in San Francisco. In all she has written twelve best sellers. Maya had a difficult childhood and she was raped at the age of eight by her mothers lover, and was so traumatised by this; she did not speak for four years, except in private to her brother. As a teenager she ran away from home, and lived in a car graveyard inhabited by homeless children. She had an unconventional young life by any standards.

She has been a singer, dancer, actress, playwright, producer, director, honouree professor, broadcaster, and Civil rights activist. She is an incredible force, and one of the great voices of contemporary literature. She is an Inaugurate Poet and addressed her poem, 'On the Pulse of Morning', to Bill Clinton at President Bill Clinton's inauguration on 20 January 1993, and she is only the second Poet to read at an Inauguration in the history of the America. The first time this happened was when Robert frost read his Poem on the Inauguration of John F Kennedy in 1961.

I think to understand the poetry; you first need to have an insight into the person who wrote it, and the context in which it was written, and in Maya's case, the roots, and inspiration for writing, lie as deep and as complex as the reasons for the slave trade itself.

In 'Phenomenal Woman' the poem tells of a woman who is proud and free. She has gained a strength she has fought for, and continues to fight for. It is written with a true confidence in her sense of self, after many years of struggle and imposed restrictions in segregated America.

- Phenomenal woman -

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.

I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.

I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Maya Angelou

In the final poem I have chosen from The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou, Maya speaks of her ongoing courage and strength of character, with a fierce pride, and strong passion for life. It reveals the warrior within this remarkable woman. This is my favourite poem of Maya Angelou.

- Still I Rise -

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.
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.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

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.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs.

Maya Angelou

This is wonderful poetry; Exciting and honest. Maya Angelou writes with a great humour, and has the unique ability to cut to the very core of humanity, with her liberation shining through her words. She writes with outrage, pride and pain. She does not use a lot of the technical form or devises of poetry, but what she does do, is reach through you, to the soul, with the impact of her words.

I find her poetry spiritually uplifting, easy to read, and with great rhythm. It is strong and hard hitting, yet beautiful and lyrical. This is poetry from a proud, black, liberated woman, and always her poetry makes for extremely moving, and truly inspirational reading. The remarkable writing and poetry of Maya Angelou is completely motivating, even when dealing with her own inner pain and years of struggle and restraint.-

Christianna Garrett-Martin