Amazing Inspirational Maya Angelou Poems – 5 Poems of Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist from America. She wrote seven autobiographies, three essay books, and many volumes of poetry.

Additionally, she was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Angelou was awarded dozens of prizes and received over 50 honorary degrees. She received awards throughout her career because of her notable works.

Below are some Amazing Inspirational Poems of Maya Angelou;

1. Title: “Still I Rise”

You may write me in history’s book,
With your bitter, twisted lies,
Trod me down in the very dirt,
Yet, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why the gloom in your eyes?
‘Cause I walk like oil wells pump,
In my living room, I rise.

Like moons and suns, with tides’ certainty,
Like hopes that spring so high,
Still, despite all, I’ll rise.
Defying shadows, touching the sky.

You may shoot me with your words,
Cut me with your judgmental eyes,
Kill me with your hatefulness,
But, like air, I’ll rise.

2. Title: “Phenomenal Woman”

In a room, cool and at ease,
Men fall to their knees,
A hive of bees, they swarm,
Captivated by my charm.

The fire in my eyes aglow,
My teeth flash, a radiant show,
With a swing in my waist,
Joyful steps embraced.

Men ponder the mystery,
My inner self, a symphony,
In the arch of my back’s art,
The grace of style imparts.

Now you grasp the truth, you see,
My pride, my strength, that’s me,
In the click of my heels, the need to care,
A phenomenal woman, beyond compare.

3. Title: “Alone”

Lying, contemplating, last night’s deep thoughts,
Seeking a dwelling where my soul finds peace,
No thirst in water, no hardness in bread,
Alone, yet convinced nobody journeys solo.

Amid wealth’s grasp, some millionaires linger,
Fortunes unspent, their kin singing the blues,
With spouses like banshees and hearts of stone,
Yet nobody, truly nobody, faces life alone.

Listen closely, I’ll share what I’ve found,
Storm clouds gather, winds of change blow,
The human race in suffering, a collective moan,
For nobody, truly nobody, weathers life alone.

Alone, all alone, in the vast expanse,
Yet nobody, truly nobody, travels life’s dance.
In the symphony of existence, a universal tone,
Together we navigate, for no one is truly alone.

4. Title: “Equality”

You see me dimly through a glass,
a shadow standing bold and trim.
Yet, you hear me faintly, a distant whisper,
my drums beating, rhythms that never dim.

You claim my ways are wanton,
accuse me of flight, a fleeting shade.
But can you grasp the essence within,
understand the struggles that never fade?

In history’s painful, shameful chapters,
I march forward, leaving the past.
I keep on moving, you lag behind,
seeking equality, breaking free at last.

Remove your blinders, shed the padding,
acknowledge the cries, witness the tears.
Feel the compelling tempo, my heartbeat,
unchanging rhythms through the years.

5. Title: “On the Pulse of Morning”

A rock, a river, a tree,
Echoes of species long gone,
Leaving tokens, reminders,
On the planet’s ancient floor.

Today, the Rock speaks boldly,
Inviting us to face destiny,
No hiding in its shadow,
No refuge down below.

Created near the angels,
Yet too long in darkness,
Crouched in ignorance,
Spilling words, armed for strife.

The Rock cries out, “Stand on me,
But reveal not your hidden face.
Rise from bruising darkness,
Lift from ignorance’s embrace.

Angelou’s poetry also benefited from her success, and she recited her poems before spellbound crowds throughout her lifetime.

Indeed, Angelou’s poetry can be traced back to African-American oral traditions, especially in her use of personal narration and emphasis on individual responses to suffering, injustice and loss, such as slave and work songs.

Angelou’s poems also respond to topics such as race and sex on a broader social and psychological level, in addition to exploring individual experiences.