Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well
The cover of Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well
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| Author | Maya Angelou |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Publisher | Random House, Inc. |
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Publication date
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1975 (1st edition) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 66 pp (hardcover 1st edition) |
| ISBN | (hardcover 1st edition) |
| Preceded by | Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie |
| Followed by | And Still I Rise |
Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well is a book of poems by American author Maya Angelou, published by Random House in 1975. It is Angelou's second volume of poetry, written after her first two autobiographies and first volume of poetry were published. Angelou considers herself a poet and a playwright, but is best known for her seven autobiographies, especially her first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, although her poetry has also been successful. She began, early in her writing career, alternating the publication of an autobiography and a volume of poetry. Although her poetry collections have been best-sellers, they have not received serious critical attention.
Oh Pray is divided into five parts and consists of 36 poems. The volume is dedicated to "Paul". Like many of Angelou's poems, the poetry in the volume has been characterized as light verse. They contain identifications with ordinary objects and universal identifications. Oh Pray has received mixed reviews from critics; one critic states that the poems in it are best if read aloud. They focus on themes of love, insight, and tension, and on overcoming difficulties. Angelou writes about ordinary objects and experiences, and with deep feelings, about a variety of racial themes and concerns.
Oh Pray My Wings are Gonna Fit Me Well is Maya Angelou's second volume of poetry. She studied and began writing poetry at a young age. After her rape at the age of eight, as recounted in her first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), she dealt with her trauma by memorizing and reciting great works of literature, including poetry, which helped bring her out of her self-imposed muteness. Angelou's film Georgia, Georgia, produced by a Swedish film company and filmed in Sweden, was the first screenplay written by a Black woman, and was released in 1972. Angelou married Welsh carpenter and ex-husband of Germaine Greer, Paul du Feu, in San Francisco in 1973.
Although Angelou considered herself a playwright and poet when her editor Robert Loomis challenged her to write Caged Bird, she has been best known for her autobiographies. Many of Angelou's readers identify her as a poet first and an autobiographer second, but like Lynn Z. Bloom, many critics consider her autobiographies more important than her poetry. Critic William Sylvester agrees, and states that although her books have been best-sellers, her poetry has "received little serious critical attention". Bloom also believes that Angelou's poetry is more interesting when she recites it. Bloom calls Angelou's performances "characteristically dynamic", and says that she "moves exuberantly, vigorously to reinforce the rhythms of the lines, the tone of the words. Her singing and dancing and electrifying stage presence transcend the predictable words and phrases".
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