Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

Poet, Memoirist

Maya Angelou was an influential American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist known for her powerful works like 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.'

Inspirational Life Thinking People Inspiring Children
Born
April 4, 1928
Died
May 28, 2014
Quotes
1K
Rank
#7

Quote collection

Maya Angelou quotes (page 50 of 51)

1K quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"We can see, from California to New York, from Maine to Florida, Seattle to New Mexico - everywhere there are women's groups. Everywhere there are women who have gotten together to examine global warming, and women who have gotten together to prepare each other for single parenting - there are women who have come together to be supportive to those whose mates are in prison, male or female, partners are in prison. All sorts of gatherings of women. I mean, I'm just celebrating my 80th year on this planet, and I look back 50 years ago and there was nothing like that."

New York Mean Florida
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"When I want to think about what would be the right thing to do, the fair thing to do, the wise thing to do, I can just think of my grandmother. I can always hear her say, "Now sister, you know what's right. Just do right!""

Wise Grandmother Thinking
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"I have enough of life in me to make somebody jealous enough to want to knock me down. I have so much courage in me that I have the effrontery, the incredible gall to stand up. That's it. That's how you get to know who you are."

Jealous Want Incredibles
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"There are those who say that poets should use her and his art to change the world. I'd agree with that, but I think everybody should do that. I think the chef and the baker and the candlestick maker - I think everybody should be hoping to make it a better world."

Art Thinking Bakers
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"I like to go back and read poems that I wrote fifty years ago, twenty years ago, and sometimes they surprise me - I didn't know I knew that then. Or maybe I didn't know it then, and I know more now."

Years Twenties Fifty
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"I think all poems are commissioned. They just come to me without somebody outside commissioning them. The idea comes and I will live with them 'til I get it as close to what I mean. I've never been totally satisfied. I've come close a few times."

Mean Thinking Ideas
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"There's something beautiful about the fact that Obama was not just elected, but elected decisively across racial, and socio-economic and cultural groups and that we all celebrated in his win."

Beautiful Winning Groups
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"My doctor told me that I really should lose some weight. "You're mildly obese," he said. And I thought, "Well, who couldn't afford to lose 20 or 30 pounds?" He said, "Well, a person in your category." I said, "What is that category, doctor?" He said, "Well, you're what I call upwardly middle aged." And I said, "I forgive you for everything.""

Doctors Forgiving Weight
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"I've lived many places on the planet, and I still have friends in many places."

Planets Stills
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"There is a lot of ignorance, and I don't mean intellectual ignorance. I mean people think that if you get something, it will take away from what I have. It's just ignorance."

Ignorance Mean Thinking
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"I'm a descendant of someone bought and sold, and brought in 1619 in what was to become the United States."

United States States United
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"If I'm going to a new country, I try to learn something about the language and the culture, so I don't just go bumbling over things."

Country Trying Culture
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"My great blessing is my son, but I have daughters. I have white ones and Black ones and fat ones and thin ones and pretty ones and plain. I have gay ones and straight. I have daughters. I have Asian ones, I have Jewish ones, I have Muslim ones."

Daughter Son Gay
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"My work is to be honest. My work is to try to think clearly, then have the courage to make sure that what I say is the truth."

Thinking Trying Honest
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"Courage, I don't think anybody is born with courage. I think you may be born with a flair to braggadocio, you know. That's not courage."

Thinking May Born
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"Try, start always at home. This is my encouragement to all writers, start at home. All virtues and vices begin at home, and then spread abroad."

Encouragement Home Trying
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"It's very hard for adults to maintain respect and romance so that a love affair can be sustained over years."

Years Romance Adults
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"If you happen to fall in love with someone in another race, it's more difficult, because you have to translate yourself."

Falling In Love Race Difficult
Read quote 3 likes
Maya Angelou Poet, Memoirist
Popular

"I do hope that young men and women will start to think for themselves and start to take responsibility for their own thoughts."

Responsibility Men Thinking
Read quote 3 likes