STILL I RISE

MAYA ANGELOU'S POETRY - LYRICAL AND DRAMATIC, EXUBERANT AND PLAYFUL - SPEAKS OF LOVE, LONGING, PARTINGS; OF SATURDAY NIGHT PARTYING, AND THE SMELLS AND SOUNDS OF SOUTHERN CITIES; OF FREEDOM AND SHATTERED DREAMS. 'THE CAGED BIRD SINGS/ WITH A FEARFUL TRILL/ OF THINGS UNKNOWN/ BUT LONGED FOR STILL/ AND HIS TUNE IS HEARD/ ON THE DISTANT HILL/ FOR THE CAGED BIRD/ SINGS OF FREEDOM.' OF HER POETRY, KIRKUS REVIEWS HAS WRITTEN, 'IT IS JUST AS MUCH A PART OF HER BIOGRAPHY AS I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS, GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME, SINGIN' AND SWINGIN' AND GETTING MERRY LIKE CHRISTMAS, AND HEART OF A WOMAN.