A collection of poetry written by the extremely inspiring Maya Angelou, better known for her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969), a moving memoir of her life after she became mute for 5 years after being raped at 8 years old by her mother’s boyfriend. The autobiography was encouraged by James Baldwin. During the time she was mute she developed a love of language and devoured writers like Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and Poe. Maya Angelou is an acclaimed poet, novelist and activist and was born in 1928 in Missouri.
She is a prolific and widely read poet, praised for writing about the strength of women, the human spirit and demanding social justice.
As a civil rights activist she worked for Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, she worked as an educator and was recognised ‘as a spokesperson for... all people who are committed to raising the moral standards of living in the United States.’