This abridged reading from the full collection was just what I needed: some of Angelou's most uplifting, self-affirming poetry, read in the author's rich voice, with her rhythm, her pacing, her emotion. Perfection.

Audiobook, via Audible. ( )

'Still I Rise' is primarily about self-respect and confidence. In the poem, Angelou reveals how she will overcome anything through her self-esteem. She knows how nothing can get her down. She will rise to any occasion.

This book is a classic filled with powerful themes and deserves the long-lasting legacy it has, not to mention the strength of the words becomes very evident when the author is able to inspire and re-imagine a new line of poets. If I were to put this author and this book (which is in the poetic work genre) into another section of literature I would label it as deeply relatable because when the content of the book reflects the same struggles the author has been through, it creates a warm embracing feeling to the audience (especially those who have had to fight to just exist in the world). ( )

Notable (to me, at least):
-A Kind of Love, Some Say
-Remembrance
-Phenomenal Woman*
-Men*
-My Arkansas
-Kin
-Still I Rise
-Ain't That Bad? ( )

A collection of beautiful poems read by the author. Angelou has a great speaking voice and enriches the poems with tone, passion, and rhythm. ( )

Maya Angelou is a fantastic poet. Just reading her poems on the page is like reading the script of a play; you may appreciate it, but you do not understand it. Listening to her read her poetry out loud adds an entire new dimension and power to it, her reading is energetic and stern. When you hear it, you cannot mistake her poetry for that of a typical romantic or political writer. This is something else entirely.

This specific collection didn't hit me universally, some poems I got more out of than others. I can understand how people were drawn to her biographical writings, which probably held onto momentum better than this format. But do not let my rating pull anything away from the accomplishments of one of America's greatest modern writers. ( )