Maya Angelou
American poet, memoirist, civil rights activist, and one of the defining literary voices of the late twentieth century. Born in 1928 in St. Louis, she lived through years of mute silence after childhood trauma, then through dancing, singing, journalism, and revolutionary work — corresponding with Malcolm X in Ghana, working on the Selma to Montgomery March with King — before her seven-volume autobiography (beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969) made her one of the most-read American writers. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, recited On the Pulse of Morning at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, and produced poetry — Phenomenal Woman, Still I Rise — that has become contemporary scripture for several generations of readers. She died in 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
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quotes in library
Quotes by Maya Angelou
118 quotes“Be a blessing to somebody.”
blessingLetter to My Daughter
“Make every day a special occasion.”
occasionWouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now
“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in this world, but has not solved one yet.”
hateConversations with Maya Angelou
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.”
young-womenLetter to My Daughter
“Each one of us has the power to make a difference.”
powerLetter to My Daughter
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”
musicI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
“There is no agony like bearing an untold story.”
storyI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper.”
wordsI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
“It is a person's responsibility to take care of his soul.”
soulLetter to My Daughter
“In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours.”
heartLetter to My Daughter
“You give. Receiving means there's a giver. The givers know who they are.”
givingLetter to My Daughter
“Everything in the universe has a rhythm. Find yours.”
rhythmWouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now
“My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry.”
laughterLetter to My Daughter
“Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time.”
hopeLetter to My Daughter
“Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. Anger is more like fire.”
bitternessLetter to My Daughter
“There is no greater burden than carrying an unforgiven enemy.”
forgivenessLetter to My Daughter
“Stand up straight and realize who you are. You tower above your circumstances.”
postureLetter to My Daughter
“Wouldn't take nothing for my journey now.”
journeyWouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
hospitality-craftWidely attributed
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