The beauty and spirit of Maya Angelou's words live on in this complete
collection of poetry, including her inaugural poem "On the Pulse of
Morning"****
Throughout her illustrious career in letters, Maya Angelou gifted,
healed, and inspired the world with her words. Now the beauty and spirit
of those words live on in this new and complete collection of poetry
that reflects and honors the writer's remarkable life.
Every poetic phrase, every poignant verse can be found within the pages
of this sure-to-be-treasured volume--from her reflections on African
American life and hardship in the compilation Just Give Me a Cool Drink
of Water 'fore I Diiie ("Though there's one thing that I cry for / I
believe enough to die for / That is every man's responsibility to man")
to her revolutionary celebrations of womanhood in the poem "Still I
Rise" ("Out of the huts of history's shame / I rise / Up from a past
that's rooted in pain / I rise") to her "On the Pulse of Morning"
tribute at President William Jefferson Clinton's inauguration ("Lift up
your eyes upon / The day breaking for you. / Give birth again / To the
dream.").
Maya Angelou: The Complete Poetry also features her final long-form
poems, including "A Brave and Startling Truth," "Amazing Peace," "His
Day Is Done," and the honest and endearing Mother:
"I feared if I let you go
You would leave me eternally.
You smiled at my fears, saying
I could not stay in your lap forever"
This collection also includes the never-before-published poem "Amazement
Awaits," commissioned for the 2008 Olympic Games:
"We are here at the portal of the world we had wished for
At the lintel of the world we most need.
We are here roaring and singing.
We prove that we can not only make peace, we can bring it with us."
Timeless and prescient, this definitive compendium will warm the hearts
of Maya Angelou's most ardent admirers as it introduces new readers to
the legendary poet, activist, and teacher--a phenomenal woman for the
ages.
