I Shall Not Be Moved by Maya Angelou

This book of poetry by the prolific Maya Angelou covers everything from racial issues to women's issues to economic issues. She also just writes about the human experience--being sad, happy, lost, inquisitive, etc.

Other than the title poem, which is obviously important, forming the backbone of this collection, my favorite poems were "Known to Eve and Me" and "The New House."

I think "Known to Eve and Me" is great because it tells multiple stories in one telling. Ostensibly, she's talking about loving the snake, being used by him, then being left by him. Of course, more than the Eve-serpent pairing, she's talking about a woman who became dependent on a man. There's a lot you can delve into in the imagery in that one, too.

"The New House" is probably one of the tamest poems in this book. But it's relevant nonetheless, proving that art doesn't always have to push boundaries to be good. It's about how a place or an object (in this case a house) can pick up something of the person to whom it is bound. Your experiences, your emotions, and your actions leave traces of you in your house. Well, I was raised in a house with character, so maybe that's why I liked this one so much.

Anyway, altogether a solid, pleasant volume of poetry. Not super life-changing, but strong.

~8/10~