Kate’s 2¢: “The complete collected poems of Maya Angelou” by Maya Angelou

“The complete collected poems of Maya Angelou” by Maya Angelou

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

“…You may shoot me with your words/You may cut me with your eyes/You may kill me with your hatefulness, but, like air, I’ll rise.”

   Gail Nelson did a good job of narrating this compilation of Angelou’s poetry. She found a meaningful balance between when to turn on the cadence of Black patois and when the ethnic emphasis wasn’t needed. 

“…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?/out of huts of history’s shame/ I rise.”

   While the poems in this compilation run the gamut from life and death, body parts and sec, stormy weather and calm sunsets, I found Angelou’s poems about civil rights and slavery to be the most passionate and powerful.

“…Up from a past that’s rooted in pain/I rise/I’m a black ocean leaping and wise/Welling and swelling/I bear in the tide/Leaving behind nights of terror and fear/ I rise into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear/I rise. Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave/I am the dream and the hope of the slave/I rise.”

   Many of the poems reflect the desultory  past of the Negro people, yet, Angelou also gives a message of hope.

“…History, despite its wrenching pain, /cannot be unlived/but, if faced with courage/it need not be lived again.

Marguerite Annie Johnson, Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA as Marguerite Annie Johnson. She was an actress and writer, known for Poetic Justice (1993), Madea’s Family Reunion (2006) and How to Make an American Quilt (1995). She was married to Paul Du Feu, Vusumzi Linda Make and Enistasious (Tosh) Angelos.

   The second child of Bailey Johnson, a doorman and navy dietitian, and Vivian (Baxter) Johnson, a nurse and card dealer.  Her parents divorced when she was three and she was sent with her 4-year old brother Bailey to live with their grandmother in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas.

   Maya Angelou became one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. With over 50 honorary doctorate degrees Dr. Maya Angelou became a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist.

   Feb 28, 2018 · Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist, poet and award-winning author known for her acclaimed 1969 memoir, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,’ and her numerous poetry and essay collections.

From   NLS/BARD/LOC:

The complete collected poems of Maya Angelou DB42918

Angelou, Maya Reading time: 3 hours, 0 minutes.

Gail Nelson A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.

Poetry

In this collection of more than 150 poems, Angelou celebrates the lives of black people, though many of her poems are universal in their appeal. She uses speech patterns of southern blacks and of the street-wise hip, the currents of blues and jazz, and the rhythm of rap. The collection includes “Still I Rise” and “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Download The complete collected poems of Maya Angelou DB42918