... 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