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.”).
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.
As National Poetry Month draws to a close this evening, we want to share Dr. Maya Angelou’s powerful collection of poems with our readers. So we’re giving away a beautiful, hardcover copy of The Complete Poetry, featuring Angelou’s never-before published poem “Amazement Awaits.”
To enter the giveaway, follow @PasteBooks on Twitter and retweet this tweet by 2 p.m. EST on Monday, May 4th (you must have a U.S. or a Canadian address to enter). We’ll announce the winner on Monday afternoon. Good luck!