woman work by maya angelou essay

Woman Work Summary & Analysis by Maya Angelou

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“Woman Work” was written by the American poet Maya Angelou and first published in her 1978 collection And Still I Rise . The speaker, implied to be a Black woman, talks about all the "work" she has to do—everything from cooking, cleaning, and caring for children to picking cotton and cutting sugar cane. In referencing both domestic duties and the history of enslavement, the speaker implies that Black women have long been thanklessly expected to devote their time and energy to others without taking anything for themselves. Ultimately, the speaker can only find rest and a sense of freedom by taking in the beauty of the natural world—the one thing that she can "call [her] own."

• Read the full text of “Woman Work”

The Full Text of “Woman Work”

“woman work” summary, “woman work” themes.

Black Women’s Labor and Freedom

The Comfort of Nature

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “woman work”.

I've got the ... ... food to shop

Then the chicken ... ... tots to dress

Lines 11-14

The cane to ... ... cotton to pick.

Lines 15-18

Shine on me, ... ... my brow again.

Lines 19-22

Storm, blow me ... ... can rest again.

Lines 23-26

Fall gently, snowflakes ... ... me rest tonight.

Lines 27-30

Sun, rain, curving ... ... call my own.

“Woman Work” Symbols

• Line 16: “Rain on me, rain”
• Line 17: “Fall softly, dewdrops”

The Wind and Sky

• Lines 19-21: “Storm, blow me from here / With your fiercest wind / Let me float across the sky”
• Line 27: “curving sky”

• Lines 23-26: “Fall gently, snowflakes / Cover me with white / Cold icy kisses and / Let me rest tonight.”

“Woman Work” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Line 1: “I've got”
• Line 2: “The”
• Line 3: “The”
• Line 4: “The”
• Line 6: “The”
• Line 7: “I got”
• Line 8: “The”
• Line 9: “I've got”
• Line 10: “The”
• Line 11: “The”
• Line 12: “I gotta”
• Line 15: “Shine,” “sunshine”
• Line 16: “Rain,” “rain”
• Line 18: “again”
• Line 21: “sky”
• Line 22: “rest,” “again”
• Line 26: “rest”
• Line 27: “rain,” “sky”
• Line 29: “shine”

Colloquialism

• Line 1: “tend”
• Line 10: “tots”
• Line 13: “see about the sick”

Juxtaposition

• Line 15: “me, sunshine”
• Line 16: “me, rain”
• Line 17: “softly, dewdrops”
• Line 19: “Storm, blow”
• Line 23: “gently, snowflakes”
• Line 29: “shine, moon”
• Lines 1-13: “I've got the children to tend / The clothes to mend / The floor to mop / The food to shop / Then the chicken to fry / The baby to dry / I got company to feed / The garden to weed / I've got the shirts to press / The tots to dress / The cane to be cut / I gotta clean up this hut / Then see about the sick”
• Lines 27-29: “Sun, rain, curving sky / Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone / Star shine, moon glow”
• Lines 15-30: “Shine on me, sunshine / Rain on me, rain / Fall softly, dewdrops / And cool my brow again. / Storm, blow me from here / With your fiercest wind / Let me float across the sky / 'Til I can rest again. / Fall gently, snowflakes / Cover me with white / Cold icy kisses and / Let me rest tonight. / Sun, rain, curving sky / Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone / Star shine, moon glow / You're all that I can call my own.”

Alliteration

• Line 3: “floor”
• Line 4: “food”
• Line 11: “cane,” “cut”
• Line 12: “clean”
• Line 13: “see,” “sick”
• Line 14: “cotton”
• Line 20: “With,” “fiercest,” “wind”
• Line 21: “float,” “across,” “sky”
• Line 24: “Cover”
• Line 25: “Cold,” “kisses”
• Line 27: “Sun,” “sky”
• Line 28: “stone”
• Line 29: “Star shine”
• Line 30: “can call”
• Line 7: “feed”
• Line 8: “garden,” “weed”
• Line 9: “shirts,” “press”
• Line 10: “tots,” “dress”
• Line 14: “cotton,” “pick”
• Line 17: “Fall softly”
• Line 22: “can rest”
• Line 23: “Fall gently, snowflakes”
• Line 25: “Cold,” “icy kisses”
• Line 27: “Sun,” “curving sky”
• Line 28: “oceans,” “stone”
• Line 30: “all,” “can call”
• Line 20: “With,” “wind”
• Line 22: “I”
• Line 29: “glow”
• Line 30: “all,” “call,” “own”

“Woman Work” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• (Location in poem: Line 10: “The tots to dress”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Woman Work”

Rhyme scheme, “woman work” speaker, “woman work” setting, literary and historical context of “woman work”, more “woman work” resources, external resources.

Maya Angelou Reading “Woman Work” — Listen to Angelou recite both this poem and her poem “One More Round” aloud.

Official Website of Maya Angelou — Learn more about Maya Angelou’s life and legacy at her official website, which includes information about her books, music based on her poems, and more.

Biography of Maya Angelou — Read about Maya Angelou’s life, her poetry, and her civil rights work.

Maya Angelou’s “Odd Jobs” — While “Woman Work” explores the typical, unending work expected of Black women, Maya Angelou herself had a range of unusual jobs—including as the first Black woman streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Learn more in this article from the Academy of American Poets, which also explores the “odd jobs” of other American poets.

And Still I Rise — Read more about And Still I Rise, the 1978 collection in which Angelou first published “Woman Work,” at the website of the book’s publisher, Penguin Random House.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Maya Angelou

Harlem Hopscotch

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

On the Pulse of Morning

Phenomenal Woman

Still I Rise

When Great Trees Fall

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

 by Maya Angelou

I’ve got the children to tend The clothes to mend The floor to mop The food to shop Then the chicken to fry The baby to dry I got company to feed The garden to weed I’ve got shirts to press The tots to dress The can to be cut I gotta clean up this hut Then see about the sick And the cotton to pick. Shine on me, sunshine Rain on me, rain Fall softly, dewdrops And cool my brow again. Storm, blow me from here With your fiercest wind Let me float across the sky ‘Til I can rest again. Fall gently, snowflakes Cover me with white Cold icy kisses and Let me rest tonight. Sun, rain, curving sky Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone Star shine, moon glow You’re all that I can call my own.

Summary of Woman Work

• Popularity of “Woman Work”: Published in her own poetic collection, Still I Rise , this poem has set the trend that entirely corresponds with the main idea of the collection. Although it appeared in 1978, the poem has proved a milestone in spreading feminism associated with African American marginalization in the United States. The poem has beautifully enumerated the daily chores a woman has to perform that start at dawn and end quite late at night . The poem has won popularity due to the simplicity involved with domestic chores.
• “Woman Work” As a Representative of Tedium of Domestic Chores: The poem shows a first person speaking to her readers. She is likely a woman fed up with her domestic chores. She presents her activities which include taking care of her children, clothes, mopping, shopping, frying, and drying from home to garden. She goes on to state ironing, cutting, cleaning, tending, and then picking cotton. It includes gardening, nursing, and farming. This shows how a woman starts her work and continues working until late at night. The most important thing that she stresses is that it does not end even in dry, wet, rainy, or cold, or hot weather. Weather and age do not impact it. She always continues floating here and there, working without enjoying “snowflakes” and beautiful weather. She then enumerates the wonders of nature to imply that she misses all of them though they are her own. This shows her tedium with the domestic chores.
• Major Themes in “Woman Work”: Tedium, boredom, and feminine resistance are three major thematic strands of the poem “Woman Work.” Although it is not clear that the speaker is facing or experiencing tedium and boredom, the immediate impact of the enumeration of various tasks one by one makes it obvious. This leads the speaker to conclude that although natural elements around her are in abundance and she can own all of them, she has little time to enjoy them. She can only state that “Let me rest tonight” and move on to state that she can call them her own. This dreary life of daily chores ends on this claim which shows a type of feminine resistance toward a daily routine.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Woman Work

Maya Angelou’s power and skill in using literary devices in simple language are obvious. Some of the major literary devices are analyzed below.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ and i/ in “Shine on me, sunshine” and “Rain on me, rain” and the sound of /o/ in “The floor to mop.”
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /w/ in “with white” and /t/ in “tots to.”
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “The tots to dress” and the sound of /sh/ in “Shine on me, sunshine.”
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Maya Angelou has used imagery in this poem, such as “Shine on me, sunshine”, “The clothes to mend” and “Fall softly, dewdrops.”
• Metaphor : It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet has used the metaphor of wind that blows her away or snowflakes that cover her.
• Symbolism : Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as children, shop, company, and garden to show the tasks women have to perform.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Woman Work

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction : It means the type of language. The poem shows very good use of simple and melodic diction .
• End Rhyme : End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Maya Angelou has used end rhyme in some of the quatrains, such as white/tonight and stone/own.
• Quatrain : A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is a quatrain.
• Rhyme Scheme : The poem follows AABB in the first fourteen verses and then ABCB in the next quatrains.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are five stanzas with fourteen verses in heroic couplets and rest quatrains.
• Tone : It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a trivial, common, and then dreary tone .

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote about the work of a woman.

The tots to dress The can to be cut I gotta clean up this hut Then see about the sick And the cotton to pick.

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The Idea of Selfhood in Maya Angelou's Woman Work

• Categories: Maya Angelou

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Published: Jun 29, 2018

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Maya Angelou: Poems

Action and identity: a critical analysis of "woman work" by maya angelou anonymous 12th grade.

Maya Angelou was an acclaimed writer and civil rights activist who reached a broad audience through her works. While she is perhaps best known for her autobiographical prose, her poetry has changed the landscape of feminist writing, bringing in a new idea of the celebration of self-definition and selfhood as an integral part of the attainment of liberation and agency.

Her poem Woman Work delineates the life of a woman as being akin to that of a slave. While idea is latent in most of the poem, her conception becomes quite overt with the mention of picking cotton. Part of the poem reads like a list with a breathless pace, an indication of the tedious life of a woman. The rhyme scheme is not regular, but exists in part of the poem to further accelerate the rhythm of the poem. This pace of the poem is representative of the life of a woman, with the woman having no time to stop; the list of her works seems to go on and on. In the following lines, this idea is especially prominent.

I've got the children to tend The clothes to mend The floor to mop The food to shop Then the chicken to fry The baby to dry I got company to feed The garden to weed I've got shirts to press The tots to dress The can to be cut I gotta clean up this hut Then see about...

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Maya Angelou

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Other works by Maya Angelou...

Your hands easy weight, teasing the bees hived in my hair, your smile at th… slope of my cheek. On the occasion, you press

The sun has come. The mist has gone. We see in the distance... our long way home. I was always yours to have.

The highway is full of big cars going nowhere fast And folks is smoking anything that… Some people wrap their lies around… And you sit wondering

When love is a shimmering curtain Before a door of chance That leads to a world in question Wherein the macabrous dance Of bones that rattle in silence

Funky blues Keen toed shoes High water pants Saddy night dance Red soda water

Some clichty folks don’t know the facts, posin’ and preenin’ and puttin’ on acts, stretchin’ their backs.

Beloved, In what other lives or lands Have I known your lips Your Hands Your Laughter brave

A last love, proper in conclusion, should snip the wings forbidding further flight. But I, now,

We, unaccustomed to courage exiles from delight live coiled in shells of lonelines… until love leaves its high holy te… and comes into our sight

They went home and told their wive… that never once in all their lives… had they known a girl like me, But... They went home. They said my house was licking cle…

Curtains forcing their will against the wind, children sleep, exchanging dreams with seraphim. The city

Your smile, delicate rumor of peace. Deafening revolutions nestle in th… cleavage of your breasts

When I think about myself, I almost laugh myself to death, My life has been one great big jok… A dance that’s walked A song that’s spoke,

I note the obvious differences in the human family. Some of us are serious, some thrive on comedy. Some declare their lives are lived

We die, Welcoming Bluebeards to our darke… Stranglers to our outstretched nec… Stranglers, who neither care nor care to know that

Question and Answer forum for K12 Students

Woman Work by Maya Angelou | Summary and Detailed Analysis of Woman Work

Woman Work Analysis: “Woman Work” is a very domestic poem that depicts the typical routine life of a woman performing her daily chores effectively and then yearns for a fantastic break amidst the different elements of nature that tend to give her strength and comfort.

Students can also check the  English Summary  to revise with them during exam preparation.

About the Author of Woman Work (Maya Angelou)

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist and civil rights, activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years.

“Woman Work” was first published in the 1978 collection of Angelou’s poem entitled “And Still I Rise”. The poem itself consists of five stanzas. The first stanza is the longest one with fourteen lines. All the subsequent stanzas are shorter and made up of four lines.

In the poem “Woman Work”, Maya Angelou kept in mind the different works of a woman while composing the poem. It is about their hardships and how they crave to be free from their monotonous strenuous working lifestyles. The poetess feels exceptionally bored and tired after attending her household affairs and thinks that only the natural phenomenon can positively influence her.

A household woman remains busy with her domestic chores; even then, she can enjoy nature through her imagination. This poem is an indirect praise of a woman’s greatness. It is an escape from the drudgery of the mechanical routine and taking shelter in an ideal life.

Summary Of The Poem Womans Work

As a housewife, she has to perform all the household chores and attend to her children, mend their clothes, mop the floor and shop for their meals. She also has to weed off her garden, press shirts, cut canes and clean up her whole house to make it beautiful and appealing.

This is the struggle of her routine, which makes her life very monotonous and prosaic. The woman referred to in the poem is an idealist, and she eagerly wants to go into the lap of nature and get the comfort and relief that she was craving.

She calls forth the sun, the moon, the sky, the cold mountains to take her away from the cacophony and into space so that she can fly without having to think about her neck-breaking routine. She wants to feel the freshness of nature and the natural elements that can stimulate her body and soul, giving her the energy to perform the next day’s household chores.

Detailed Analysis of Woman Work

“I’ve got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The floor to mop

I gotta clean up this hut

Then see about the sick

And the cotton to pick.”

In the first stanza, the poetess gives vent to her feelings for her dull and busy life. She is tired of her routine work of being a working woman. She says that she has to look after her children at home, clothes to stitch. She has to go grocery shopping and then clean the floor. She has to weed out her garden and shirts to iron. She also has to take care of the sick.

She has to dress her children and also cut bamboos. She has to clean her whole house. All these chores are pretty tough and require courage and tolerance on the part of a domestic woman. The poetess is swamped with work and has no time for herself. She needs to make sure that everyone in the house is fed and fulfils every need.

The first stanza of the poem is the longest in the entire poem by Maya Angelou. It describes in details the everyday household duties that the poetess has to take care of. A taste of slavery is depicted in the first stanza. The woman is confined to her daily hardships dealing with everyday difficulties.

“Shine on me, sunshine

And cool my brow again.”

In the second stanza, the poetess wants to enjoy natural objects and relax on nature’s lap. Her demands are straightforward, compared to the hard work that she goes through every day. She wants the sun to shine and the rain to fall. The simple element of nature gives her comfort and a sense of calm.

She has got tired of domestic work and wants to go close to nature. She wants the

sunlight to shine on her and the raindrops to fall on her. The dew drops should gently fall upon her. All these things can cool her brow and take her away from reality for a while. All these natural objects can give her the peace and satisfaction she craves while doing her everyday chores.

Stanza Three

“Storm, blow me from here

‘Til I can rest again.”

The third stanza denotes an expression of her escapism from the busy life of a working woman. The domestic woman in the poem remains busy and dreams of an ideal life amidst nature. In this stanza, she asks the storms to blow her from the busy world across the sky, with its stormy and gushing wind.

As a result of which, she will be able to get relief from the hurly-burly of life. She asks the storm to take her to an imaginary world for the rest. Only her imagination can give her peace, solace and a taste of freedom. In reality, this freedom and satisfaction that she desires are not possible.

Stanza Four

“Fall gently, snowflakes

Let me rest tonight.”

This stanza is also an expression of her taking relief and refuge with the natural elements of nature. She asks the snowflakes to fall gently on her body and completely cover her up and make it all white. When the woman will be completely covered up, and under the charm and burden of the white snow, she will get solace.

She further asks the snow to touch her and give her cold icy kisses, which will help her to rest the entire night. Her reality seems to deny her of all the solace and peace, so she yearns for a sense of calm in the lap of Mother Nature.

Stanza Five

“Sun, rain, curving sky

You’re all that I can call my own.”

In the last stanza, the poetess addresses all the elements of nature that can relieve her from the busy life of a working woman. She wants to lose herself among the natural objects. Thus she asks the sun, rain, the curving sky, the mountains, the ocean, the leaves and stones to give her relief.

She craves for relief and joy from all the natural things and wants to run away from the dark and dull life at home and serve others. For this reason, she asks the moon to glow, the shining stars to give her shelter along with them. She wants to be close to nature and calls these things her own because she wants some leisure and satisfaction. Nature can give her delight and can transport her to the world of peace and tranquility.

In contrast to the first stanza, the subsequent stanzas exhibit a slower and more relaxed movement. It is as if the poetess needs to rest after a hard day’s work. The protagonist ends the poem invoking the presence of nature that refreshes both her body and her soul.

What is the message of woman work?

Black Women’s Labor and Freedom

“Woman Work” describes the pressure that women, and Black women in particular, face to work and care for other people. The speaker must cook, clean, pick cotton, cut sugar cane, and take care of everyone around her, finding brief respite only in the freedom offered by the natural world.

What kind of poem is woman work?

“Woman Work” is a very domestic poem depicting the typical routine life of a woman who performs her daily chores effectively and then yearns for a fantastic break amidst the elements of nature to give her strength and comfort.

When did Maya Angelou Write woman work?

1978 Though published in 1978, “Woman Work” is a poem that easily fits along that continuum.

Who wrote the poem woman work?

Maya Angelou

Why was woman work written?

Speaker. Maya Angelou’s purpose for writing the poem “Woman Work” is to show a woman’s struggles and to express her pain as a single mother. The poem gives everyone a look into a woman’s day that is filled with hard work and stress. Diction consists of both vocabulary and syntax.

What is the theme of the poem woman?

The poem analyzes the themes of the strength of women in the face of adversity and danger, the sacrifices women make, and the hopes of mothers for their children.

Maya Angelou

Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar Maya Angelou was a world-famous author. She was best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style.

On April 4, 1928, Marguerite Ann Johnson, known to the world as Maya Angelou, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Due to her parents’ tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce, Angelou went to live with her paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas at an early age. Her older brother, Bailey, gave Angelou her nickname “Maya.”

Returning to her mother’s care briefly at the age of seven, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. He was later jailed and then killed when released from jail. Believing that her confession of the trauma had a hand in the man’s death, Angelou became mute for six years. During her mutism and into her teens, she again lived with her grandmother in Arkansas.

Angelou’s interest in the written word and the English language was evident from an early age. Throughout her childhood, she wrote essays, poetry, and kept a journal. When she returned to Arkansas, she took an interest in poetry and memorized works by Shakespeare and Poe.

Prior to the start of World War II, Angelou moved back in with her mother, who at this time was living in Oakland, California. She attended George Washington High School and took dance and drama courses at the California Labor School.

When war broke out, Angelou applied to join the Women’s Army Corps. However, her application was rejected because of her involvement in the California Labor School, which was said to have Communist ties. Determined to gain employment, despite being only 15 years old, she decided to apply for the position of a streetcar conductor. Many men had left their jobs to join the services, enabling women to fill them. However, Angelou was barred from applying at first because of her race. But she was undeterred. Every day for three weeks, she requested a job application, but was denied. Finally, the company relented and handed her an application. Because she was under the legal working age, she wrote that she was 19. She was accepted for the position and became the first African American woman to work as a streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Angelou was employed for a semester but then decided to return to school. She graduated from Mission High School in the summer of 1944 and soon after gave birth to her only child, Clyde Bailey (Guy) Johnson.

After graduation, Angelou undertook a series of odd jobs to support herself and her son. In 1949, she married Tosh Angelos, an electrician in the US Navy. She adopted a form of his surname and kept it throughout her life, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1952.

Angelou was also noted for her talents as a singer and dancer, particularly in the calypso and cabaret styles. In the 1950s, she performed professionally in the US, Europe, and northern Africa, and sold albums of her recordings.

In 1950, African American writers in New York City formed the Harlem Writers Guild to nurture and support the publication of Black authors. Angelou joined the Guild in 1959. She also became active in the Civil Rights Movement and served as the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a prominent African American advocacy organization

In 1969, Angelou published I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , an autobiography of her early life. Her tale of personal strength amid childhood trauma and racism resonated with readers and was nominated for the National Book Award. Many schools sought to ban the book for its frank depiction of sexual abuse, but it is credited with helping other abuse survivors tell their stories.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been translated into numerous languages and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Angelou eventually published six more autobiographies, culminating in 2013’s Mom & Me & Mom.   

She wrote numerous poetry volumes, such as the Pulitzer Prize-nominated  Just Give me a Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie (1971), as well as several essay collections. She also recorded spoken albums of her poetry, including “On the Pulse of the Morning,” for which she won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. The poem was originally written for and delivered at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. She also won a Grammy in 1995, and again in 2002, for her spoken albums of poetry.

Angelou carried out a wide variety of activities on stage and screen as a writer, actor, director, and producer. In 1972, she became the first African American woman to have her screen play turned into a film with the production of Georgia, Georgia . Angelou earned a Tony nomination in 1973 for her supporting role in Jerome Kitty’s play Look Away , and portrayed Kunta Kinte’s grandmother in the television miniseries Roots in 1977.

She was recognized by many organizations both nationally and internationally for her contributions to literature. In 1981, Wake Forest University offered Angelou the Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. President Clinton awarded Angelou the National Medal of Arts in 2000. In 2012, she was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Wake Forest University Writers Hall of Fame. The following year, she received the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for outstanding service to the American literary community. Angelou also gave many commencement speeches and was awarded more than 30 honorary degrees in her lifetime.

Angelou died on May 28, 2014. Several memorials were held in her honor, including ones at Wake Forest University and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. To honor her legacy, the US Postal Service issued a stamp with her likeness on it in 2015. (The US Postal Service mistakenly included a quote on the stamp that has long been associated with Angelou but was actually first written by Joan Walsh Anglund .) 

In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Angelou the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. It was a fitting recognition for Angelou’s remarkable and inspiring career in the arts.

Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. (New York: Random House, 1969). Angelou, Maya. Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration. (New York: Doubleday, 2008).

“Poet – Maya Angelou.” Academy of American Poets. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/maya-angelou

Brown, Emma. “Maya Angelou, Writer and Poet, dies at age 86.” The Washington Post, May 28, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/maya-angelou-writer-and-poet-dies-at-age-86/2014/05/28/2948ef5e-c5da-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html?utm_term=.408fffb9a82c

Brown , DeNeen L. “Maya Angelou honored for her first job as a street car conductor in San Francisco.” The Washington Post, March 12, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/03/12/maya-angelou-honored-for-her-first-job-as-a-street-car-conductor-in-san-francisco/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.92c836957f2f

“About Harlem Writers Guild.” Harlem Writers Guild. Accessed August 10, 2017. http://theharlemwritersguild.org/about.html

Moore, Lucinda. “Growing Up Maya Angelou.” Smithsonian.com, April 2013. Accessed August 8, 2017. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/growing-up-maya-angelou-79582387/

Nixon, Ron. “Postal Service Won’t Reissue Maya Angelou Stamp.” The New York Times, April 8, 2017. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/us/postal-service-wont-reissue-maya-angelou-stamp.html

“History.” Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Accessed August 10, 2017. http://nationalsclc.org/about-us/history/

Thursby, Jacqueline S. "Angelou, Maya (4 Apr. 1928–28 May 2014), writer, performer, and activist." American National Biography. 29 Nov. 2018; Accessed 7 Dec. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.013.00700

“Dr. Maya Angelou.” National Book Foundation. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.nationalbook.org/people/dr-maya-angelou/#fullBio

MLA - Spring, Kelly. “Maya Angelou." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2017. Date accessed.

Chicago - Spring, Kelly. "Maya Angelou." National Women's History Museum. 2017. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maya-angelou.

Photo Credit:  MAYA ANGELOU, circa 1976. Courtesy: CSU Archives / Everett Collection. 

Angelou, Maya. Just Give me a Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie . (New York: Bantam, 1976).

Angelou, Maya. Mom & Me & Mom . (London: Virago, 2013).

“THE INAUGURATION; Maya Angelou: 'On the Pulse of Morning’.” The New York Times, January 21 1993.  http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/21/us/the-inauguration-maya-angelou-on-the-pulse-of-morning.html Classroom Posters:

• Maya Angelou Classroom Poster (11x17 in) | Maya Angelou Classroom Poster (24x36 in)

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Maya Angelou: a Beacon of Influence in Contemporary Literature

This essay about Maya Angelou’s enduring influence in contemporary literature and beyond. It explores how Angelou’s autobiographical works, activism, and mentorship have left a profound impact on writers, artists, and activists. Through her honest storytelling and advocacy, Angelou addresses themes of identity, resilience, and social justice, inspiring individuals across various mediums. Her iconic poem “Still I Rise” serves as a beacon of empowerment, resonating with those seeking to overcome adversity. Furthermore, Angelou’s dedication to education and mentorship continues to empower future generations, emphasizing the transformative power of literature in fostering empathy and inciting positive change in society.

How it works

Maya Angelou stands as a luminary figure in the realm of literature, casting a long-reaching shadow that extends far beyond her own lifetime. Her impact on contemporary writers and artists transcends mere admiration for her literary prowess; it is a testament to the profound resonance of her words and the enduring relevance of her message. In a landscape characterized by flux and uncertainty, Angelou’s voice serves as a steady anchor, offering solace, guidance, and inspiration to those who seek it.

At the heart of Angelou’s enduring influence lies her remarkable ability to weave personal narratives into a broader tapestry of human experience. Through her autobiographical works, such as “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “The Heart of a Woman,” she invites readers into the intimate corridors of her own life, illuminating the universal struggles of identity, resilience, and self-discovery. In doing so, she blurs the lines between fiction and reality, inviting readers to see themselves reflected in her stories and to find solace in the shared humanity that binds us all.

Moreover, Angelou’s impact extends far beyond the confines of the written word, permeating the realms of music, art, and activism. Her iconic poem, “Still I Rise,” has become a rallying cry for resilience and empowerment, resonating with individuals from all walks of life who seek to overcome adversity and reclaim their agency. From spoken word performances to visual art installations, Angelou’s words continue to inspire artists and activists to confront injustice and champion social change, serving as a potent reminder of the transformative power of art to provoke thought and incite action.

Furthermore, Angelou’s legacy endures through the countless individuals whom she has mentored and inspired throughout her lifetime. As a fervent advocate for education and mentorship, she recognized the importance of nurturing emerging talent and amplifying marginalized voices. Through initiatives such as the Maya Angelou Center for Women’s Health and Wellness and the Maya Angelou Public Charter School, she continues to empower future generations to embrace their creativity, cultivate their voices, and effect positive change in their communities. In doing so, she leaves behind a legacy that is not only literary but also profoundly humanitarian, embodying the belief that literature has the power to uplift, educate, and unite us all.

In conclusion, Maya Angelou’s influence on contemporary literature and beyond is both profound and far-reaching. Through her words, her actions, and her unwavering commitment to social justice, she has left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of individuals around the world. As we continue to navigate the complexities of the modern world, her legacy serves as a guiding light, reminding us of the enduring power of empathy, resilience, and the human spirit. In honoring her memory, we honor not only a literary icon but also a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations to come.

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Maya Angelou's journey from a waitress to a legendary writer is still inspiring the world

History has been a witness to the women who broke the social barriers to make their mark on the world. Renowned American author Maya Angelou is one such influential woman. While many know about her remarkable literary works, her career trajectory before she started her literary journey is not popularly known. One would be surprised by the versatile jobs she did before becoming an author and the book, " Maya Angelou: Writer and Activist " by Del Sandeen speaks volumes about the poet's unconventional career path, per History . To name a few, Angelou delved into acting, dancing, journalism and even was a streetcar conductor, all while it was not common for women to work outside their homes.

As a teen, Angelou was determined to take up the role of a street car conductor. While it was rare to find a woman streetcar conductor, Angelou was resolute in visiting the railway office several times to apply for the conductor job and eventually secured it. As per the National Women's History Museum , the "Letter to My Daughter" author became the first African American streetcar conductor in San Fransisco. However, as a high school student Angelou prioritized completing her education in 1945 and earning her diploma from George Washington High School. So, the conductor job didn't last long. However, the resilient woman kept toiling hard even after welcoming her child Clyde "Guy" Johnson. As a teenage mother , Angelou worked as a cook before she began her cocktail waitress job in Los Angeles.

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Though Angelou wasn't so proud of her job as a cocktail waitress in a nightclub, she found it to be essential to support herself and her child. However, her regret amplified and once she made enough money to buy a car, she returned to the place where she spent most of her childhood: Stamps, Arkansas. However, the poet found her calling in San Fransisco after working some temporary jobs in restaurants, clothing stores and real estate offices. Purple Onion, a nightclub in San Fransisco offered Angelou a job as a dancer and calypso singer though she wasn't trained much in vocals but had taken some dancing lessons in her youth. This job became a turning point in her life because it got her a small part in the "Porgy and Bess" musical in 1954. Shortly after divorcing her husband Tosh Angelos that year, Angelou's job demanded her to travel all over Europe. However, the guilt of a mother took over her and she was determined to not leave her son in the U.S. during her travels.

So, the doting mother stayed back in America and continued her singing and dancing gigs. It was when they moved to New York City in 1959 that Angelou's writing endeavors spawned a little. She took part in the Civil Rights Movement by organizing fundraising events, writing letters, managing volunteers and so on. Teaming up with a South African activist named Vusumzi Make whom she was in love with, Angelou traveled across Africa and landed the role of an editor in The Arab Observer newspaper. Despite having no experience in journalism, Angelou chose to learn and grow in her job. It was a foundation for her career as an enthusiastic writer. So, when political activist Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, Angelou was emotionally impacted and she chose to bare her soul by writing. It was how her masterpiece "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," was born and since then Angelou had chosen her pen as her weapon to share the stories that needed to be told.

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Jotted Lines

A Collection Of Essays

Woman Work by Maya Angelou – Literary Devices – Tone

Rhyme .

Rhyme is a technique that often lends a singsong quality to a poem. Angelou’s use of rhyme in much of her poetry is one aspect critics tend to criticize because they believe it makes her poetry sound juvenile. 

Angelou’s use of rhyme in the first 14 lines of ‘‘Woman Work,’’ however, is appropriate and underscores the meaning behind the stanza. By developing the stanza using rhyming couplets (every pair of lines rhymes), the poem shows that the work is mundane. That rhyming quality makes the stanza seem more like a list whose items must be checked off every day. The woman’s frustration can be felt as she reels off the list of activities she must complete. 

Rhyme is used but more loosely in the four shorter stanzas and not to the same effect. Instead, the end rhyme is a means of pulling together each stanza to present a complete image in the reader’s mind. 

Imagery 

Imagery is descriptive language that evokes a sensory (sight, smell, taste, sight, and sound) experience. The poem’s four shorter stanzas, in which the speaker refers to nature and its elements, uses imagery to convey meaning. For example, in the third stanza, lines 19–22, she uses words and phrases that force the reader to envision what is happening: storm, blow, fiercest wind, float. 

Likewise, lines 23–26 rely on imagery: Snowflakes fall gently, giving cold, icy kisses. The reader can actually see these images as the speaker describes them. 

Rhythm 

Angelou does not use a consistent rhythm throughout the poem or even throughout each stanza, but she uses it in much the same way she does rhyme: to underscore the meaning of her message. 

In lines 1–14, the lines are relatively short—4 to 7 syllables. Nearly every word in those lines is one syllable. These two features considered together give the stanza a choppy feel, even as the aforementioned rhyme lends a singsong quality. The brevity of both words and line length add to that feeling of the speaker checking off each activity as its listed or reeling off the (seemingly) endless list quickly before she forgets something. 

Repetition 

Repetition is used only in the first 14 lines. Like the rhyme and rhythm techniques, this repetition lends itself well to the point of the stanza. Lines 1, 7, 9, and 12 begin with some form of the word ‘‘I,’’ a reminder that the speaker is burdened with this laundry list of chores. Lines 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, and 11 begin with ‘‘the.’’ Again, this repetition adds to the singsong rhythm that serves this stanza so well. Lines 5, 6, and 13 begin with ‘‘then.’’ First the speaker must do this, this, and this, and then she must do that, that, and that. Repetition emphasizes the endlessness of the responsibilities shouldered by the woman. 

Alliteration 

Alliteration is the repetition of consonants, and Angelou employs alliteration all the way through the first stanza, or 14 lines. She uses hard consonant sounds, primarily ‘‘c’’ and ‘‘t.’’ These give a harsh, angry tone to the words of the stanza. This harshness is emphasized by the short length of the words: tots, cane, cut, hut, sick, pick, mop, shop. 

Personification 

Objects are personified when they are given human characteristics. Although Angelou does not use personification very much, she does use it when talking about the woman’s interactions with nature. 

In lines 17 and 18, the dewdrops cool her brow. Usually, the idea of cooling one’s brow involves one person comforting another. In lines 23–25, the snowflakes cover the woman with kisses. Again, this is an act of comfort, one usually involving humans. 

This use of personification emphasizes the important role nature plays in the speaker’s life. Nature relieves and comforts, restores and provides. It acts as a sort of soul mate in the life of a woman who has spoken not one word of having a partner or husband or even friend. 

Spoken Word 

All of the style techniques mentioned previously are more obvious if the reader reads this poem aloud. Angelou writes in the oral tradition, meaning she intends for her work to be spoken aloud. By speaking the lines, the reader more clearly hears the rhythm, the rhyme, the repetition, and alliteration. Sounds of letters and words support the imagery. The combination of sound and voice intonation brings this particular poem to life.

Source Credits: 

Sara Constantakis (Editor), Poetry for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context & Criticism on Commonly Studied Poetry, Maya Angelou, Volume 33, published by Gale-Cengage Learning, 2010.

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Woman Work by Maya Angelou in the perspective of Marxist Feminism.

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Muhammad Yasir Khan

The woman is always the most discussed topic in almost all the countries of the world and in whole the history of the universe. Some groups talk against her and some groups fight for her rights. Even, now a day in few regions of the world woman is living in a very disgusting condition and at the same time she is enjoying the beauty, adornments and luxury of the world with equal status as the man. In Asian as well as American society woman is considered as the main component of the house and at the same time she has a responsible to run the house. This research is about the poem "Woman Work" by Maya Angelou in which the poetess has conferred the busy life of the woman in the house.

ENGLISH FRANCA : Academic Journal of English Language and Education

Riris Krismarini

This paper presented the stylistic analysis of a poem by Maya Angelou, “Woman Work”. This stylistic analysis focused on analyzing two language levels, phonology and syntax, covering the study of sound repetition, transitivity, and pronoun. The phonological features employed in the poem were assonance and consonance. On the other hand, the syntactic features were in the form of material processes that described the works of a woman. The employment of pronoun referred to the poet and nature. This analysis found that Angelou positioned nature as an essential part of a woman's life as it helped her to provide a living to her family. Further, nature was placed as an Actor that helped her face her world as a woman. This paper concludes that stylistics is applicable to analyse literary works in an objective way as it provides the hard data. Keywords: stylistics, poem, woman, Angelou

Dr. Deeba Shahwar

This paper is a comparative study between two selected poems by Maya Angelou, and aims to explore the female oppression as portrayed in her those selected poems. The researcher's objective is to explore the hegemonic culture through subordination, marginalization, and oppression of women. The study is qualitative descriptive with textual analysis by conducting comparative criticism between mentioned poems. Data analysis would be conducted by using the particular ideas of feminist such as Simone de Beauvoir in her book "The Second Sex". Angelou showed oppressed female but in the end Angelou shows how the women not only survive but also triumph. Researcher suggests that there are still so many complexities in the poems of Angelou that other researchers can explore. Scholars can compare more poems of Angelou or other feminist writers with above mentioned poems, and researchers can also conduct their study by taking more than two poems of Angelou for comparative analysis, they can investigate any view point other than female oppression.

saima Perveen

In this research paper, the researcher has tried to find out the image of black female depicted in Maya Angelou's poems. This research has been conducted by qualitative and analytical method because this research has not numerical data. After collecting data, the researcher has analyzed poems and supported by particular idea of feminist Sara Mills. The researcher has chosen only three poems of ‘Still I Rise’, ‘Phenomenal Woman’ and ‘Caged Bird’. This study has been conducted by the use of black feminism. This research gives rise to enhance the argument in literature studies particularly Black Feminism self-esteem. The analysis has explained that black woman’s different images are depicted in Maya Angelou's poems. In the first poem ‘Still I Rise’, Maya Angelou presents black female as a leader of the movement and challenges the society arrangement about black people. In the second poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, Maya Angelou describes a standard of beauty that beauty is not having beautiful face and slim smart body and thin lip. She says that a black woman can be phenomenal woman through her confidence and good personality and proud herself being black woman. In last poem ‘Caged Bird’, Maya Angelou shows underdevelopment of black woman due to tradition. As a coloured woman Maya Angelou raises her voice and says that soon, black people will be free. The present research concludes that author is presenting theme of hope in all above poems and she is a courageous black woman. Keywords: black feminism, Maya Angelou, identity and coloured women

VEDA'S JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE [JOELL]

Feminist critics analyze how women are showed, how the text discussed gender relations and sex differentiation. Maya Angelou is a feminist writer and her work encompassed the struggles and triumphs of a black woman in America. Maya Angelou is one of the poets who use a poem as a media to express her isolation from her environment. Maya Angelou through the poem Phenomenol Woman presents that sexuality of a woman is not directly related to a pretty face. It’s about how a woman feels within herself. This poem celebrates the power of a woman and the speaker is portrayed as a strong and confident woman. Her power, her behavior and her confidence become the inner mystery that makes her to be a phenomenal woman.

Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Applied Linguistics (CONAPLIN 9)

Agung Suhadi

International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change

Hasan Hadi Ali

Being an African-American female poet, dramatist, novelist and critic, Maya Angelou made use of her poetry and literary writing as a means to direct her own feeling toward the racial secularism and injustice of the American society. In addition, she displayed the strength aspects of black women in resisting these stereotypes institutions and supporting their self-confidence and dignity. Thus, many critics and writers indicated that Angelou's poems concentrate on her own self-image and regarded her works as a reflection of the African-American womanhood. Therefore, this paper aims to examine Angelou's poems that apparently mirror the female voice and identity in Woman Work, Phenomenal Woman, Still I Rise and Equality. In each of these poems, the poet used a persona to speak out about the personal experience of the poet with racism and oppression against black women. The feminist theory was adopted to analyse the feminist voice in Angelou's selected poems. The findings indicated that specific facts and literary devices of Angelou's utilisation of feminist inefficacy and silence were effective to stand against the racial discrimination and state of marginalisation. Thus, this paper implies that the reader can recognise Angelou's effort in emerging her own voice to speak about certain strategies used by the black women to sustain their self-respect, selfconsciousness and identity.

bakhtiar hama

This paper is an attempt in the field of feminist stylistics approach to explore the stylistic devices employed by Maya Angelou in (And Still I Rise, Phenomenal Woman and Woman Work). The purpose is to uncover how she used language to defy the problems that women face and how she presented her own identity. Angelou expressed herself in her poetry and the medium to convey that self-image is language. Thus, the analyses of the poems were conducted depending on the feminist stylistics approach proposed by Sara Mills (1995) and an eclectic approach which draws upon the previous works on stylistics and pragmatics. According to Mills (1995), the purpose of the feminist stylistic study is to display how gender is represented in a literary text, and to detect the reasons which push the author to express herself in a particular way. Scrutinizing the poems at the levels of words, sentences and discourse showed that Angelou employed linguistics devices to defend herself, to create her identity and to display who she is.

Nathaniel Sunday

This work focuses on the struggle for Black identity formation by African-Americas which has always been a continuous task, despite their constant state of repression. This research, aims at revealing the excruciating ordeals of African-Americans in the hands of not just racist Whites but in the hands of black males as well. This research goes further to show how the black female character is struggling to assert herself from patriarchal subjugation. This research uses both primary and secondary sources of data to carry out a detailed exploration of the text under study. For the primary sources, a study of selected poems of Maya Angelou will be used. While the secondary sources consist studies that other researchers have made, concerning this research. This research adopts two theoretical criticisms the Feminist literary theory and the Marxist literary criticism. These theories have been able to promote the status of subjugated black females, by portraying them in positive light, ma...

Elmira Bazregarzadeh

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Maya Angelou’s newly uncovered writing from Egypt and Ghana reveals a more radical side to her career

PhD Candidate in History, University of Cambridge

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This research was supported by a graduate studentship from Trinity Hall and a travel grant provided by the Prince Consort and Thirlwall Fund at the University of Cambridge.

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On August 28 1963, a group of activists gathered opposite the US Embassy in the Ghanaian capital of Accra. Inspired by the March on Washington unfolding 5,000 miles away, the protesters carried placards urging the US government to “wipe out racism” and claiming that the US now faced a choice between “civil liberties and civil war”.

In the front row of the demonstration was a face that would later become famous – the American author and poet Maya Angelou.

The Accra march reflected Angelou’s growing engagement with radical politics. Frustrated by American racism and fascinated by African decolonisation, she moved to Egypt in 1961 and then Ghana in 1963 . In both countries, she found work as a journalist within the state-controlled media.

While Angelou’s memoirs give few details about this political work, I’ve spent the last three years tracking down surviving copies of her writing from Egypt and Ghana . These newly uncovered texts demonstrate Angelou’s efforts to link the struggle for civil rights in the US to global campaigns against racism and imperialism.

However, they also suggest she faced censorship and discrimination which tested her skill as a writer and may have ultimately encouraged her to return to the US.

Today, Angelou – who was born on April 4 1928 – is best known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), a vivid account of her childhood in Arkansas. In 1993, she recited one of her most famous poems, On the Pulse of Morning , at the inauguration of US president Bill Clinton .

Angelou’s anti-colonial journalism, by contrast, reveals a new and more radical side to her career during the 1960s .

Escape from New York

Angelou’s political writing began in New York. Moving to the city to work as a nightclub singer, she soon became close to leftist groups like the Harlem Writers’ Guild and Fair Play for Cuba Committee .

These ties encouraged Angelou to submit writing to Lunes de Revolución (The Revolution on Monday) – a literary magazine operated by Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba. By searching the magazine’s digital archives, I was able to track down Angelou’s very first publication , Entre Memphis y Cleveland (Between Memphis and Cleveland).

This tense short story follows an African American man narrowly escaping a racist assault, and was printed in a special edition of Lunes devoted to the struggle for civil rights.

In late 1960, Angelou met the South African anti-apartheid activist Vusumzi Make at a Harlem Writers Guild party. The two formed an immediate romantic connection and moved to Cairo together in late 1961 to support Make’s work at the African Association , a network of anti-colonial activists sponsored by the Egyptian government.

To pay off Make’s considerable debts, Angelou found work as the Africa editor at the Arab Observer , a news magazine with a close relationship to the Egyptian regime. She also began writing for Radio Cairo , Egypt’s international broadcasting service, and received extra pay for every script she read herself.

This work encouraged Angelou to develop her skills as a political writer. At the Arab Observer, Angelou recalls in her memoirs , she learned how to produce propaganda “with such subtlety that the reader would think the opinion his own”.

Surviving copies of the magazine suggest that her work was radical and anti-colonial, arguing for “real militancy” in the struggle against apartheid and imperial rule. Radio Cairo, meanwhile, was locked in a competition with British , French , Soviet and Israeli broadcasters to win audiences across Africa.

Egyptian broadcasts certainly helped to intimidate imperial authorities , who grew anxious about the influence of “vitriolic anti-colonial propaganda” in their own territories. In response, broadcasters like the BBC began creating and expanding their own radio services in an attempt to “counteract the effects of Radio Cairo” .

Censors and collaborators

As her relationship with Make broke down, Angelou moved again – this time to Ghana, then led by the charismatic socialist Kwame Nkrumah. In Accra, she found a supportive community of African American radicals who, like her, had moved to Africa in the hope of contributing to progressive anti-colonial causes. She also began working as a journalist for state-funded newspapers like the Ghanaian Times and The African Review .

By cross-referencing texts from Angelou’s personal archive with radio transcripts produced by the BBC , I discovered that she also continued writing for radio. This time, her scripts were broadcast on the African Service of the Ghana Broadcasting System , another international broadcaster which British officials were convinced was “detrimental to [their] interests” in Africa.

Her writing continued to attack racism and imperialism, urging Africans and African Americans to unite against the “common foe” of white supremacy. In her articles and radio talks, Angelou argued that the liberation of Africa from colonial rule could pave the way for the liberation of African Americans from segregationist violence.

Comparing Angelou’s original scripts to broadcast transcripts, however, suggests that her writing also faced political censorship by the Nkrumah regime. In one 1964 programme, for example, her references to Ghana’s “token military machine” were replaced with praise for its “military power”, while a critical reference to Africa’s “self-imposed redeemers” was cut entirely.

Angelou also began to face political discrimination. In the wake of a failed assassination attempt on Nkrumah in 1964, paranoid Ghanaian authorities began accusing the African American community of acting as agents for the US.

In her memoirs , Angelou claims to have kept her head down to “avoid the flaming tongues” – but she also wrote an article in the Ghanaian Times denouncing African American moderates as “Uncle Toms” and “slave sellers” who failed to recognise their own bondage. As the Nkrumah government began to expel prominent American activists, Angelou may have felt obliged to play to these popular prejudices to avoid being caught up in them herself.

Africa in review

Angelou returned to the US in February 1965, hoping to work for the Organization of Afro-American Unity . Inspired by Malcolm X’s tours of Africa in 1964, the group aimed to support black liberation by adopting the tactics of African anti-colonial parties.

Angelou’s plans fell apart, however, after Malcolm X’s shocking assassination . While she continued to write for The African Review, she gradually moved away from journalism and toward the poetry and memoirs which would later make her famous.

Together, Angelou’s political writing sheds light on a fascinating moment of solidarity. At the height of the civil rights movement, she joined other African American radicals in turning away from the US and toward Africa. To do so, however, she had to navigate complicated systems of patronage, discrimination and censorship.

Ultimately, Angelou’s early writing paints a complex, compelling and all-too-human picture of her career as an anti-colonial activist.

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• Maya Angelou
• Civil rights movement
• US literature
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