I know why the caged bird sings.

—Maya Angelou

About Maya Angelou

Portrait of Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning...

More quotations from Maya Angelou

Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told, 'I'm with you kid. Let's go.

—Maya Angelou

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.

—Maya Angelou

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

—Maya Angelou

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

—Maya Angelou

love hope fences walls

There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure the truth.

—Maya Angelou

More quotations tagged with “birds”

I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs.

—Joseph Addison

fruit birds garden cherries

The very idea of a bird is a symbol and a suggestion to the poet. A bird seems to be at the top of the scale, so vehement and intense his life.… The beautiful vagabonds, endowed with every grace, masters of all climes, and knowing no bounds—how many human aspirations are realised in their free, holiday-lives—and how many suggestions to the poet in their flight and song!

—John Burroughs

God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages.

—Jacques Deval

Those little nimble musicians of the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which nature hath furnished them to the shame of art.

—Izaak Walton

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.

—Henry Van Dyke

History

11 Jul 2015 Added