... stereotypes did not suppress her motivation or desire to succeed in a world where she was initially destined to fail. Throughout her work, she transforms from the meek and insecure Marguerite Johnson in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, to the self-confident and intelligent Maya Angelou that is reflected in her book of poems, And Still I Rise. Maya has taken her struggles and transformed them ... into inspirational poems and stories that reflect her ability to overcome adversity and make it in a world where the white male supremacy reigned. Maya's first autobiography, I Know Why The Cage...

• Word Count: 1347
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... survive masculine prejudice, and hatred. Angelou's first work of literature, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was the first book by an African American woman to storm best-seller lists-(Essence). This autobiography was written with the inspiration of her disrupted life. Many say it reflects the pain of her struggle to overcome restrictions that were placed in her environment ... , Essence). Her most well known poem "Phenomenal Woman- contains many of her strengths and weaknesses. As noted in the Virginia Quarterly Review, "Its theme--power and depth of women "echoes her own personal hist...

• Word Count: 1257
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School