A woman of passion, compassion, and style, poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis and raised in rural Arkansas. Growing up poor during the Depression, Angelou transformed her tragic childhood into vibrant writing.

"Look for the beauty in things," advised this special woman whose inspirational message bridged hope and love. Her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) detailed her extraordinary early life. "Life loves the liver of it," she celebrated. "Don't bring negatives to my door."

Fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, and West African Fanti, she is a mentor to Oprah Winfrey, Fiona Apple, and many others. Angelou's still-growing body of work is powerful, capturing emotions to empower positive change. She wrote, "when it looked like the sun wasn't going to shine anymore, God put a rainbow in the clouds."  

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated," she urged. "In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."

More MAYA ANGELOU Quotations

Thrive with passion, compassion, and style!