How Do You Write Poetry Like Maya Angelou?
Acclaimed American poet, Maya Angelou has had an illustrious career which has taken her across the globe and introduced her to many different cultures, races and religions. From dancer, to actor, to music composer, to poet, Maya Angelou’s broad life experience reflects in her rich body of work. Seek solitude. Maya Angelou reportedly writes in complete solitude in hotel rooms, with only her paper, a bottle of sherry, playing cards, a thesaurus and the Bible. By early afternoon, she emerges with an average of 10-12 pages of writing, which she then edits in the evening. Turn your poem’s title into the refrain. In poems such as “Alone” and “I Rise,” she repeats the titles throughout the rest of the poem as a refrain or chorus. Write about women’s issues. Poems such as “Phenomenal Woman” and “Woman Work” deal with trials and triumphs exclusive to women and include Angelou’s take on the feminine mystique. Get political. In her poem, “These Yet to Be United States,” Angelou tackles tough poli
