Still I Rise

“Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou (1983)

A part of her collection Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing?, this poem shares similar themes with “Still I Rise.” The poem describes a yearning for freedom and the resilience of the speaker. Angelou returns to the imagery of caged and free birds, recalling the title of her first autobiography.

“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou (1978)

Another poem from the And Still I Rise collection, this poem focuses on a frequent theme of Angelou’s: praise of Black femininity and beauty. This poem exemplifies Angelou’s style and rhetoric, and she often chose to read it out loud at public readings.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (1969)

Angelou’s most well-known work, her first autobiography details her childhood and early adult life. Many critics consider the young Angelou’s experiences to not only be those of a specific person, but as a representation of every Black girl growing up in America. Scholars also argue that her autobiography challenged the genre in its attempts to critique, change, and expand the form. The book focuses on some common themes in Angelou’s work and in Black writing following the Civil Rights movement including a celebration of Black womanhood, criticism of racism, the quest for independence, resilience, and survival.