Maya Angelou Poems - Poem Analysis (2024)

‘Still I Rise’ is an inspiring and emotional poem that’s based around Maya Angelou’s experiences as a Black woman in America. It encourages readers to love themselves fully and persevere in the face of every hardship.

This poem is one of Maya Angelou's most iconic and powerful pieces. It has become a staple of American literature and a rallying cry for those who have faced discrimination, oppression, and adversity. The poem is celebrated for its uplifting and empowering message of resilience and hope and its celebration of Black women's strength and perseverance in the face of historical and contemporary forms of racism, sexism, and discrimination.

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.

‘Awaking in New York’ by Maya Angelou is filled with beautiful imagery. She depicts what it is like to wake up in New York City from a specific point of view.

One of Angelou’s shorter poems, ‘Awaking in New York’ uses imagery as its primary technique. The concise lines of this piece depict what it is like for one speaker to wake up in the city. They also briefly allude to the day to day mundanity of city life, using personification. Angelou juxtaposes these images of exhaustion and solitude with those of the dreams of children and how they are shared with “seraphim,” or multi-winged angels.

Curtains forcing their will

against the wind,

children sleep,

‘Caged Bird’, or ‘IKnow Why the Caged Bird Sings’ as the poem is sometimes referred to, by Maya Angelou, is arguably one of the most moving and eye-opening poems ever written.

This poem was published in 1983 in Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing? and speaks as a number of Maya Angelou’s poems do, on resilience. She was specifically interested in looking back on African American history through the metaphor of a bird. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker talks about a free bird. He goes wherever he wants and claims all areas of the sky. The second stanza is darker, as Angelou discusses a caged bird. The bird is imprisoned by “bars of rage” that make him hard to see. He can’t function because of the overwhelming anger he has towards those who are keeping him captive. The only thing he’s able to do is sing, longing for freedom.

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

‘Phenomenal Woman’ by Maya Angelou defies the stereotypes women are often faced with today.It is a poem filled with strength and determination.

This piece, like other Angelou poems, is about empowering oneself. The speaker wants young women to go out into the world and “kick ass,” no matter who they are or what they look like. The speaker addresses the fact that she is “not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” but society’s norms do not matter when addressing one’s worth. She can carry herself confidently, walking into a room “as cool as you please” and stand up to a man. In fact, she adds, they “swarm” around her like bees. No matter what anyone else says to her, she knows that she’s a “woman / Phenomenally”.

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.

‘Men’ by Maya Angelou is an emotional poem about the negative parts of relationships and how painful they can be.

This is one of Maya Angelou's best poems. In its three stanzas, the poet engages in many of the themes that she's best known for. These include the experiences of women and relationships. The poem is about growing up and realizing that one's idealized image of relationships is not accurate.

When I was young, I used tov

Watch behind the curtains

As men walked up and down the street.

Wino men, old men.

‘Woman Work’ by Maya Angelou is a poem that celebrates women’s strength. It uses natural imagery to speak on this topic and various others.

Through skillful use of language, Angelou captures the burdens and responsibilities that women carry daily. The poem's rhythmic cadence and evocative descriptions breathe life into the mundane tasks women undertake, revealing the unspoken struggles they endure. Angelou's ability to connect personal experiences with universal themes empowers readers to recognize and appreciate the unyielding power of women's work in shaping society.

I've got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The floor to mop

The food to shop

‘When Great Trees Fall’by Maya Angelou speaks about loss as a tragic yet inevitable part of the human experience. When it strikes, it leaves despair and misery in its path.

One of Angelou's best, ‘When Great Trees Fall’ is dedicated to loss and misery as integral parts of the human experience. Through the metaphor of a falling tree, the speaker talks about important losses that shake one’s life. In this case, the impact of the tree on the ground is felt throughout the forest. All the creatures shake and shudder. The lions “hunker down” and try to ride out the aftershocks.

When great trees fall,

rocks on distant hills shudder,

lions hunker down

in tall grasses,

‘In Retrospect’ by Maya Angelou is a deeply sad poem that speaks about relationships through an extended seasonal metaphor.

This is an incredibly beautiful Maya Angelou poem and one that should be considered among her best. Its simple use of language and incredibly impactful extended metaphor is as relatable as it is enjoyable to read.

Last year changed its seasons

subtly, stripped its sultry winds

for the reds of dying leaves, let

‘Africa’ by Maya Angelou uses an extended metaphor to describe the continent of Africa. She draws attention to the complex social-political climate.

‘Africa’ by Maya Angelou describes the plight of the African continent through the extended metaphor of a beautiful woman. By utilizing the metaphor of a woman Angelou creates a greater sympathy for the deep and long-lasting plight of the African people. Readers are better able to sympathize and empathize with a fellow human being. The suffering is more tangible, and more outrageous when a specific human face is the source of it.

Thus she had lain

sugercane sweet

deserts her hair

golden her feet

‘Equality’ by Maya Angelou is an uplifting poem with a positive message. It speaks movingly about the possibilities of the future.

In this piece the speaker address themes of equality and discrimination. Through the use of metaphors and the striking refrain, “equality and I will be free” Maya Angelou emphasizes a universal longing for equality. The speaker asks the listener to stop covering their ears and their eyes and see clearly that the speaker, and all those like her, have been crying, asking for change. Eventually, the repetition of the refrain takes on the rhythm of a heartbeat or drumbeat. It is pounding over and over again, driving the speaker forward as she seeks out equal freedoms.

You declare you see me dimly

through a glass which will not shine,

though I stand before you boldly,

trim in rank and marking time.

‘Just Like Job’ by Maya Angelou narrates a spiritual odyssey, navigating life’s alleys, trusting divine guidance, echoing resilience, and faith.

This poem encapsulates Maya Angelou's distinct poetic style, blending personal narrative with spiritual exploration. The poem echoes her thematic focus on resilience, faith, and the human spirit. Its use of vivid imagery, biblical allusions, and a rhythmic tone align with Angelou's hallmark elements, making it a poignant representation of her broader body of work.

My Lord, My Lord,

Long have I cried out to Thee

In the heat of the sun,

The cool of the moon

‘My Arkansas’ by Maya Angelou unveils a state’s history with vivid imagery, exploring resilience and transformation amid historical burdens.

This poem is representative of Maya Angelou's poetic style and thematic concerns. Angelou is known for her evocative use of imagery, powerful language, and exploration of identity and social issues. In the poem, she employs vivid and metaphorical language to delve into the historical complexities of the state. The free-verse form, absence of a strict rhyme scheme, and use of enjambment align with Angelou's penchant for a fluid and rhythmic style.

There is a deep brooding

In Arkansas.

Old crimes like moss pend

From poplar trees.

Maya Angelou’s ‘Momma Welfare Roll’ vividly portrays resilience and defiance amid societal judgment, navigating poverty with unwavering agency.

This poem is representative of Maya Angelou's poetic style and thematic concerns. Known for her ability to blend vivid imagery with profound insights into the human condition, Angelou often explores themes of resilience, identity, and social justice. Like many of her works, it uses evocative language and striking imagery to delve into the themes. The defiance, agency, and resilience portrayed in the face of societal judgment align with recurring themes in Angelou's body of work.

Her arms semaphore fat triangles,

Pudgy hands bunched on layered hips

Where bones idle under years of fatback

And lima beans.

‘On Aging’ by Maya Angelou explores what it means to get old. The speaker is honest and direct, confronting the reader with the truth about age.

This is a short poem that is addressed to those who might feel pity for an aging speaker. She asks them not to chatter at her, as she’s listening to herself She doesn’t want their sympathy, or for people to think that she is less than who she was in the past. In fact, she tells the listener directly that she is “the same person [she] was back then, a little less hair, a little less chin”. But, she knows very well that she is “lucky” that she can still “breathe in”.

When you see me sitting quietly,

Like a sack left on the shelf,

Don’t think I need your chattering.

I’m listening to myself.

‘Junkie Monkey Reel’ by Maya Angelou is filled with images that make it easy for readers to imagine the impact of severe drug use. Throughout this poem, the poet alludes to the ways that drugs, like heroin, destroy someone’s life.

This is a fantastic Maya Angelou poem, but not one that's generally considered to be among her most famous. It deals with a subject that's less common in her work - the impact of drug use and stands out for this reason.

Shoulders sag,

The pull of weighted needling.

Arms drag, smacking wet in soft bone