Angelou's poems are truly remarkable. They are like beautiful songs that have the ability to tell passionate and deeply personal stories.

She writes with such depth and intimacy that it feels as if she is sharing her most inner thoughts and emotions directly with the reader.

What makes her work even more unique is her use of the vernacular of black American heritage. Through this, she is able to reveal our true selves to us, showing all the different aspects of our humanness.

She doesn't shy away from the frightening, shameful, mysterious, or wonderful parts. Instead, she embraces them all, creating a powerful and involving body of work that has the ability to touch the hearts and souls of readers everywhere.

Her poems are not just words on a page; they are a reflection of the human experience and a celebration of the beauty and complexity of life.

I initially had a rather low opinion of the book. I thought it would be just another ordinary collection. However, as I delved deeper into it, I realized that it was much better than what I had initially given it credit for.

There were, unfortunately, a significant number of poems that I had a really hard time understanding. The language and the concepts were so complex that it felt like I was trying to solve a difficult puzzle. As a result, I couldn't bring myself to like the book as much as I might have otherwise.

But, on the bright side, the poems that I did manage to understand were truly great. They had a profound impact on me, touching my emotions and making me think in ways I never had before. It was as if a lightbulb had gone off in my head, and I could suddenly see the beauty and the depth of the words.

Overall, despite the challenges I faced in understanding some of the poems, I still believe that the book has a lot to offer. It's a collection that requires patience and careful reading, but the rewards are well worth it.

This was the best book I have ever read!

It is extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely inspirational!

The story within its pages took me on an unforgettable journey. It had characters that I could truly relate to and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Every word seemed to be carefully chosen to convey a powerful message. It made me think about life in a whole new way and gave me the motivation to pursue my dreams. I found myself constantly highlighting passages and taking notes because there was so much wisdom and inspiration to be gained.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a life-changing read. It is a masterpiece that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Language is not only a powerful tool that can be used to strike at an oppressor or uplift an entire community, but also a thing of joy, playfulness, and whimsy. The ability to wield it with such effortless mastery, whether for serious or light-hearted purposes, is truly remarkable. It is a thoroughly impressive body of work that I mostly enjoyed a great deal.

Language has the power to inspire, to persuade, and to connect people. It can be used to tell stories, to express emotions, and to share ideas. Whether we are writing a novel, giving a speech, or having a conversation with a friend, language is the medium through which we communicate.

To be able to use language effectively, we need to have a good understanding of its grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. We also need to be able to adapt our language to different audiences and situations. This requires practice, patience, and a willingness to learn.

In conclusion, language is a wonderful and versatile tool that can bring us great joy and satisfaction. Whether we are using it to make a difference in the world or simply to have fun, we should always strive to use it with care and precision.

I mean, seriously, what more can one say? It's Maya Angelou, for goodness sake! She is an absolute literary icon, and this work is no exception. I was truly amazed when I discovered some real gems within its pages. There was this wonderful note to Oprah that I just adored. It was so heartfelt and genuine, it really added a special touch to the whole collection. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has an appreciation for great literature. It is definitely worth having in your personal collection. You will find yourself coming back to it time and time again, getting lost in the beautiful words and powerful messages that Maya Angelou so skillfully conveys.

I absolutely love and adore Maya with all my heart. She is truly an amazing person. Her kind heart is like a warm ray of sunshine that brightens up every room she enters. Her mind is sharp and intelligent, always filled with interesting thoughts and ideas. And her self is so unique and beautiful, it's impossible not to be drawn to her. I am so sorry that we lost such a wonderful gift. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. But her memory will live on in our hearts forever. We will always cherish the time we spent with her and the lessons she taught us. Maya, you will always be in our thoughts and prayers. Rest in peace, dear one.

Conveying through a different way, I think is appropriate for something like this, haha.

The Tome of the Bard: A Poem for a Poet

Fortuity was knocked by a quivering surge of low tides stretching aloft. Infants on their feet, buds branching out of the realm I've restrained. Woods serpentine to tumble down into leafbeds, the library's collection of the Bard's brave adventures.

A chapter is read, and the rest is history.

No less than the mighty warriors of the Vale is the Bard's vigor that pounds out in syllables. Languor defied like gravity's grip that swallows her people into the void with iron fists and blades of sound. With graceful sways and eloquent speech, she triumphs with her homilies delivered by the winds to faraway shores out of purity of heart for the cleansing of ancient ghosts, from the pulpit of poets.

Smearing the curse with a wave of a quill, with skill of labyrinthine traits and horizon-wide truths that mimics the beauty possessed by the human. Her agony, shared from her people, cries of elixir poured down to the belly of the Bard in a brew that expels injustice off its pedestal. She beckons with a banner stitched in endless fabrics of emotion in a pattern of wise words acquired by her wanderlust, living a million lives, for unity to reign like a famine rain.

Her tales of romance evokes a fervent passion; loss has never been conveyed in this way; stylistic choices in compelling fashion, legions of dreamers joining the fray.

Words seem to sparkle in animated breaths that beat and mold by the Bard's creativity. Words seem to build bridges between distant lands, covering chasms of our differences with messages showing our likeness. Words seem to guide lost Travelers in search of a place of one's own, of a hope to cling on in tempestuous days lingering on shoulders withering like ephemeral plants. Words build up to a lighthouse, refined concrete carrying the star that shoots through the hearts of weary souls--slaves of monochrome's yoke. Words seem to be my reason to live in futures ensnared in love unperceived.

The reverie broken by the finale of the Bard's brave adventures strewn in mystical warmth. The living life onwards was walked with every step pulling strength out of the gospel of her heart. In truth, words fail without the Bard's tome of lyrical intelligence referenced for endeavors of self-expression. I draw power from her discharges of artistic finesse honed by the sorrows of torment and the ragged hands of humanity that wish nothing but the dawning of hope. How then can I ignore the springing trees that dance in the flute of language and vocabulary? How then can I avoid the beaming solar power when it is unveiled in all of its glory? This chance encounter kneeled me into reverence to the sanctity of wordsmiths echoing in the astrals to follow its trail.

No poetic resplendence goes overstated in the Bard's compendium of words, marking an epoch in the sands of time, a legacy told to us of one kind.

Maya Angelou’s The Complete Poetry is truly a volume that one should savor and cherish. It is a remarkable collection that showcases her talent and depth as a poet.

The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that while I deeply admire Angelou’s work, there are a few poets who rank just above her in my personal pantheon. These include Carl Sandburg, Langston Hughes, Seamus Heaney, Wislawa Szymborska, Pablo Neruda, Mary Oliver, and Sharon Olds.

That being said, Angelou is still a fine poet. She is an astute observer of society, with a keen eye for the injustices and unrest that have marked history. She addresses the struggles of being a woman, while also celebrating its joys. Above all, she is a witness, confronting the hardships of life with both fortitude and grace. Even in the face of pain, anger, and frustration, her hope and faith remain unwavering.

Here are a few snippets of her verses that I found particularly moving:

In “My Guilt,” she writes, “My crime is I’m alive to tell.” And in the final line of the poem, she admits, “My sin lies in not screaming loud.”

In “On Working White Liberals,” she observes, “. . . I’ll believe in Liberals’ aid for us / When I see a white man load a Black man’s gun.”

In “America,” she personifies the country and says, “Her proud declarations / are leaves on the wind[.]”

The opening lines of “Woman Me” resonate with hope: “Your smile, delicate / rumor of peace.”

In “My Arkansas,” she sees how “The sullen earth / is much too / red for comfort.”

And in “A Georgia Song,” she remembers, “Oh, the blood-red clay, / Wet still with ancient / Wrongs . . .”

These lines are just a small sample of the beauty and power that can be found within the pages of The Complete Poetry.

Maya Angelou's presence has a powerful impact on me, even more so than her writing. I have only witnessed a few film interviews and readings of hers, but her voice, delivery, and overall persona are truly electrifying. As a result, when the words are separated from this physical presence, it feels a bit disappointing. However, one can't really fault a writer for this. This volume contains a large amount of poetry, and it seems that the quantity has diluted the quality of more than a few genuine gems. (This could probably be said of most comprehensive "complete" collections of a poet's work.) The rhythm and subject matter of her writing appeal to me the most. There is a kind of tireless struggle for the freedom of the spirit, equality, and the recognition of individual humanity and dignity. She was a writer who knew the kind of world she wanted to create with her words and believed that those words could make the world a better place. And this volume allows you to see that world through the eyes of a young, passionate woman, all the way to the wise, American elder she became.

A few of my favorites include:

"London" (I wasn't able to find an online version to copy and paste or link to.)

----------------------------------

Maya Angelou performing "The Mask" (I don't think this one is actually in the book.)

----------------------------------

"Some Kind of love, Some Say"

Is it true the ribs can tell

The kick of a beast from a

Lover’s fist? The bruised

Bones recorded well

The sudden shock, the

Hard impact. Then swollen lids,

Sorry eyes, spoke not

Of lost romance, but hurt.

Hate often is confused. Its

Limits are in zones beyond itself. And

Sadists will not learn that

Love, by nature, exacts a pain

Unequalled on the rack.

----------------------------------

"Human Family"

I note the obvious differences

in the human family.

Some of us are serious,

some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

as true profundity,

and others claim they really live

the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

can confuse, bemuse, delight,

brown and pink and beige and purple,

tan and blue and white.

I've sailed upon the seven seas

and stopped in every land,

I've seen the wonders of the world

not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

called Jane and Mary Jane,

but I've not seen any two

who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

although their features jibe,

and lovers think quite different thoughts

while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

we weep on England's moors,

and laugh and moan in Guinea,

and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

in major we're the same.

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

I am naturally drawn to those who have endured hardships. There's no disrespect intended if your life has been completely enjoyable. However, women like Maya Angelou? She truly lived life to the fullest and had profound knowledge.

Five stars. It's not because I adore every single poem. Instead, the ones that I do love are simply... indescribable. My mouth kept falling open in astonishment, and I couldn't fathom how I had managed to get through my entire life up until now without having read that particular poem.

There are the well-known favorites - Still I Rise, Caged Bird, Phenomenal Woman, On Aging. But there is so much more. Preacher, Don't Send Me, The Lie, Contemporary Announcement, America, The Memory, When Great Trees Fall, Just Like Job, A Conceit, Woman Work, Alone, Weekend Glory, Call Letters, Many and More, Recovery.

Maya, are you extremely occupied in Heaven? Will you be my guardian angel?

Maya Angelou needs no accolades from me.

This comprehensive collection showcases her flexible masterful voice. It names anger and humor, both personal and societal.

She is raw, presenting her true self without any pretenses. Her words are intimate, as if she is sharing her deepest secrets with the reader.

At the same time, she is funny, able to find humor in the most difficult of situations.

Her work is true, reflecting the real world and the experiences of people.

And ultimately, she is hopeful, believing that things can get better.

I will be returning to her poems, I'm sure. They have the power to move me, to make me think, and to give me hope.

Her words are a testament to her talent and her ability to touch the hearts of readers.

I am grateful to have discovered her work and look forward to exploring more of her poems in the future.

Maya Angelou is an incredibly remarkable and influential figure. Her works have touched the hearts and minds of countless people around the world.

She was a poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, using her powerful words to convey deep emotions, share her life experiences, and advocate for social change.

Her words had the ability to inspire, empower, and bring a sense of hope to those who read them.

Maya Angelou's impact on literature and society is truly immeasurable.

I love you, Maya Angelou, for your profound contributions and for the way you have enriched our lives with your words and your spirit.

Your legacy will continue to live on and inspire generations to come.