# What's the word on Maya Angelou?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 2, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618 "2007-02-02T23:43:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/1 "2007-02-02T23:43:11Z")
So I noticed while trawling the blogosphere today that scorn is being heaped on Maya Angelou’s [appreciation](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/01/AR2007020101909.html) of the late Molly Ivins. Sample sentence:
[QUOTE=Maya Angelou]
The walls of ignorance and prejudice and cruelty, which she railed against valiantly all her public life, have not fallen, but their truculence to do so does not speak against her determination to make them collapse.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not particularly tuned in to the world of poetry, or even of modern literature for that matter, but every now and then I become tangentially aware that Angelou is not as critically esteemed in some corners as you’d think based on her high profile. Some of the scorn seems politically motivated, but I know at least one English major-poetry nut whose liberal bona fides are all in order who thinks Angelou’s work is crap.
So what’s the real story, Dopers? Is she any good or not? Personally, I’ve never read any of her books, and only read one or two of her poems way back in high school, but as I said above I’m not in much of a position to judge anyways. I’ll admit that the Ivins piece didn’t do much for me, but I’ll be curious to know what others think.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/2 "2007-02-02T23:47:21Z")
I think her work is crap, but what do I know? Strictly a matter of personal taste…she does not speak for me or to me in anything of hers I’ve read. I am not qualified to offer a professional evaluation of her abilities as a poet.
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### Author:  [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/3 "2007-02-03T00:02:09Z")
I think her poems are terrible.
koeeoaddi
Liberal(ish) English Major Poetry Nut, Emeritus
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### Author:  [@NJ\_Kef\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NJ_Kef_1)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/4 "2007-02-03T00:34:10Z")
I am not impressed by the dramatic presence that is Maya Angelou. I find her poetry unremarkable and her autobiographical writings led me to suspect she is homophobic and insecure about her own femininity. I haven’t read her in 20 years, but that was my last impression. On the other hand, I loved Molly Ivins, so I’m prepared to accept that Maya Angelou has a silver lining I may have overlooked.
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### Author:  [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/5 "2007-02-03T01:13:24Z")
I first heard of her when she recited a “poem” at Bill Clinton’s inauguration. She writes that poetry that doesn’t rhyme, which makes it prose in my book, but I went to trade school.
Hey, I just wrote me a poem!
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/6 "2007-02-03T01:26:01Z")
Sorry, **randwill** , but you didn’t write a poem. Poems need more line breaks than you provided. This is a poem:
She writes that poetry
that doesn’t rhyme,
which makes it prose
in my book, but
I went to trade school.
Hey, I just wrote me a poem!
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/7 "2007-02-03T01:31:41Z")
What little I’ve read of her has left me scratching my head at her supposedly high standing as a poet/writer. IIRC, she also wrote the poetry that Janet jackson recited in _Poetic Justice_, which was unbelievably horrible (the poetry as well as the movie).
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### Author:  [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/8 "2007-02-03T01:47:19Z")
She’s got a lucrative contract with Hallmark Cards to provide them with greeting card treacle.
Personally, I’ve never cared for her writing.
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### Author:  [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/9 "2007-02-03T03:07:32Z")
I have no idea why I am checking out this forum, but I need to say that I am a fan of both Molly Ivins and Maya Angelou.
Takes all sorts, I guess!
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/10 "2007-02-03T03:12:13Z")
I think that any poet chosen to speak at a national political event, almost by definition, is going to be so bland and inoffensive that it will be all but impossible for them to create a remotely interesting poem.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/11 "2007-02-03T04:01:26Z")
I haven’t read much of Angelou’s poetry, and have never read “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” so it’s possible she’s written some magnificent works that I’m just not familiar with.
But what I have read or heard is embarrassingly bad- the kind of wimpy, pantheistic stuff a precocious 12 year old girl would write.
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### Author:  [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/12 "2007-02-03T04:05:48Z")
[QUOTE=Fetchund]
I have no idea why I am checking out this forum, but I need to say that I am a fan of both Molly Ivins and Maya Angelou.
Takes all sorts, I guess!
[/QUOTE]
Why wouldn’t you check out this forum? Cafe Society takes all sorts as well! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/13 "2007-02-03T04:26:23Z")
Don’t mean to hijack, but since it is your thread, **Rodgers01** , I guess I should be forgiven!
I’ve never heard of most of the topics in this forum. I don’t really watch TV, or go to movies, or listen to most music, or play video games… so this forum just leaves me with a big “huh?” I’m REALLY trying to stay awake a few minutes longer, though, so I thought I’d come by. Nice to know I’m welcome!
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/14 "2007-02-03T04:37:21Z")
**randwill**
The non-rhyming poetry of which you speak is called “blank verse”.
I learned that in school. (or maybe it was an episode of ‘Speed Racer’ 😃 )
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### Author:  [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/15 "2007-02-03T04:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=Fetchund]
Don’t mean to hijack, but since it is your thread, **Rodgers01** , I guess I should be forgiven!
I’ve never heard of most of the topics in this forum. I don’t really watch TV, or go to movies, or listen to most music, or play video games… so this forum just leaves me with a big “huh?” I’m REALLY trying to stay awake a few minutes longer, though, so I thought I’d come by. Nice to know I’m welcome!
[/QUOTE]
However you get your jollies (which, from the list of things you _don’t_ do, I’m guessing is probably reading, maybe art?) you’ll probably find some people to talk about it with here. And feel free to start a topic if you don’t see your interest being discussed. So yeah, welcome! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/16 "2007-02-03T06:27:12Z")
The only work of hers I know is her poem [Phenomenal Woman](http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/insp/maya.htm), and I’m really not a fan of it. I find the way she ends each stanza to be really annoying.
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### Author:  [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/17 "2007-02-03T06:38:43Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde]
The only work of hers I know is her poem [Phenomenal Woman](http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/insp/maya.htm), and I’m really not a fan of it. I find the way she ends each stanza to be really annoying.
[/QUOTE]
Jesus Christ. I’ve never read any of her poetry until now but that is terrible.
Hm. Funny I’ve never had to read her stuff - I’m an Eng Lit major and have taken quite a few feminist/ethnic literature classes. Morrison is always on the syllabus but Angelou seems to have been skipped. Has anyone here studied her in an academic context?
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### Author:  [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/18 "2007-02-03T08:13:13Z")
Well, she’s no Rod McKuen … .
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/19 "2007-02-03T08:31:18Z")
[QUOTE=randwill]
I first heard of her when she recited a “poem” at Bill Clinton’s inauguration.
[/QUOTE]
And it was followed by Sousa’a “Liberty Bell March” just like the start of an episode of “Monty Python.” While the song told me the Clinton administration would be FUN the poem said it would SUCK. Choose your history.
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### Author:  [@Morfane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morfane)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2007, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-on-maya-angelou/390618/20 "2007-02-03T08:36:41Z")
“Caged Bird” was
Mediocre to somewhat
Good; the poetry
Has little going for
It.
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