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Meaning
This reads as a hard-earned lesson about dignity in situations where struggle is not always noble and fighting is not always possible. It points to the idea that sometimes yielding is not defeat but a form of wisdom or survival, especially when choice has been stripped away. It lands in moments of coercion, hardship, or simple human limits.
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Originally said in English.
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About Maya Angelou
American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist
Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. Her work spans more than 50 years, and she is best known for a series of autobiographies that began with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and her credits also include plays, films, and television shows. The autobiographical books focus on her childhood and early adult life, especially the first volume, which takes her story to age 17 and brought her international recognition. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
More from Maya Angelou (379 quotes) →Other sayings from Maya Angelou
- “Take the blinders from your visiontake the padding from your earsand confess you've heard me crying and admit…”Maya Angelou
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- “I think a number of the leaders are, whether you like it or not, in the hip-hop generation. And when they und…”Maya Angelou
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Books by Maya Angelou
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The first volume of her autobiography.