For the Last Time: MAYA ANGELOU Wrote THIS Poem 4 Hillary & Supports Hillary

[LulaMay]

Dr. Maya Angelou wrote 'State Package for Hillary Clinton" January 20, 2008


The poem closes with "Rise, Hillary. Rise". Many DU posts have quoted this in support of Hillary, like Maya wrote it to support Hillary!

Find it HERE:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/20/usa.poetry



Watch the video of Maya Angelou reciting her poem for Hillary HERE (very lovely to see)

http://www.sivacracy.net/2008/02/maya_angelous_poem_in_praise_o.html



Dr. Angelou wrote a poem in 1978 about being a black woman entitled

"Still I Rise"

Read it HERE:

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15623



Maya Angelou feels what it is to be a woman in this world, a black woman, but a woman nonetheless.

She expresses sisterhood between black and white women, especially with her poem for Hillary, which partly recalls her 1978 poem.



If you regard Dr. Angelou, listen to her words expressing the bonds between women,

rather than trying to divide women with arguments about her work.

[blogslut]

1. Welcome back

Happy April Fool. :hi:

[Barack_America]

2. Ohh. Is she a superdelegate?

Exciting!

;)

[LulaMay]

11. She's one of the greatest poets of our time. Show some respect.

[Barack_America]

15. Oh get over yourself.

She's a great poet, true. But is she such a political force that she deserve 4 threads on the front page of GDP for a story that is over a month old? No.

[OzarkDem]

82. Maya has been insulted by Obama supporters

Really appalling. They booed her name when Sheila Jackson Lee mentioned her recently. Obama supporters behaving in such an insulting and boorish way are no better than right wing cretins.

[snooper2]

16. Respect my poet damn you!

:rofl:

[Bluebear]

32. The language of Hope! Respect! Change!

[Teaser]

50. RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!!!

.

[bunnies]

3. "the whole world was looking under Mrs Clinton's bedclothes"

ummm. WHAT?!

[LulaMay]

13. I guess poetry isn't your 'thing', or relating to another woman's pain.

[bunnies]

17. Actually, poetry is my "thing" having many times been published.

And please dont give me that sexist anti-woman woman crap. I don't buy it.

[LulaMay]

18. Then why don't you understand a great poets words?

[bunnies]

21. I do.

And speaking of "I'll Rise" you should listen to Ben Harper's musical version. Its one of the best pieces of music ever... imho.

Anyway.. its not that I dont understand her words. Its that I disagree with her premise and her willingness to attribute the 'victim' label to Hillary.

[LulaMay]

31. Maybe you could get in touch with your collegue, run your criticism by her, and get back to us.

[bunnies]

33. um. Who the hell is my collegue?

What the hell are you talking about? Are you trying to go all nasty on me? :shrug:

[LulaMay]

38. You put yourself on Maya Angelou's level, so why not ask her?

[bunnies]

39. I did NOT put myself on Maya Angelous level.

Give. Me. A. Break.

Saying Im a published poet or that poetry is "my thing" in no way means Im one of the most revered poets of all time. Holy massive stretch.

This is the problem with people. No one takes anything at face value at this point.

I never compared myself with her in any way... but there you are... condemning me as if I did.

[americanstranger]

46. Bunnies, I'd duck out now.

This nonsense will go on for hours if you let it.

WTTW.

- as

[bunnies]

54. I know you're right.

When theyre spinning MY OWN words and trying to convince me I said something I didnt say... Whats the point in arguing?

Sometimes, I cant help myself.

[LulaMay]

48. I think you did when you cited yourself as a published poet capable of telling us what she thought

when she wrote her poem.


And that she was wrong.

[bunnies]

51. Please point to where I said I could read Maya Angelous mind.

Thanks.

[LulaMay]

61. You claimed that her 'premise' was to paint Hillary a victim.

Not a very good way to discuss poetry I might add. It's not a debate or argument.

[bunnies]

65. please re-read.

I disagree with her premise AND her willingness to paint Hillary as a victim.

Further... there is no 'good' or 'bad' way to discuss poetry.

[dchill]

89. Better yet...

What the hell is a collegue? I don't speak professional poetry, so I don't know.

[rodeodance]

4. K and R

[blogslut]

7. Welcome back to you too!

Happy April Fools! :hi:

[rodeodance]

8. Beautiful spring day

[LulaMay]

10. Lovely, isn't it?

[kid a]

5. Maya rocks!

Hillary - not so much.

She will vote for Obama in Nov. Aske her.

[rodeodance]

6. and I posted a correction last evening:--here

Forum Name General Discussion: Primaries
Topic subject A correction to some nonsense posted here on DU Maya’s poem for Hillary:
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5338175#5338175
5338175, A correction to some nonsense posted here on DU Maya’s poem for Hillary:
Posted by rodeodance on Tue Apr-01-08 02:35 AM

I have read some posts saying Maya did not write this poem and even
Though I post this last week---But unfortuately,the false claim re-appeared once again
Yesterday (Monday).




http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/20/usa.poetry


Maya Angelou's poem in praise of Hillary

* Vanessa Thorpe, arts and media correspondent
* The Observer,
* Sunday January 20 2008
* Article history

About this article
Close
This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday January 20 2008 on p3 of the News section. It was last updated at 01:49 on January 20 2008.
Maya Angelou, the African-American poet who is one of the most influential and respected literary voices of the modern age, has written a poem praising Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign for The Observer.

………..

The 79-year-old poet was the centrepiece of Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993 when she read her poem On the Pulse of Morning, playing on the idea of a new political dawn. Last week she handed this new poem over to the Clinton campaign.

………
'When he had his brush with Ms Lewinsky, the whole world was looking under Mrs Clinton's bedclothes. Many people expected her to fall or to become as hard as a rock,' she has said. 'She did neither. I love that about her. She didn't pretend she wasn't hurt and she didn't become a virago.'

………..
It is not known how long Angelou spent writing the poem, but in the weeks leading up to President Bill Clinton's first inauguration she is said to have begun work at 5.30 every morning, equipped with a glass of sherry, a dictionary, Roget's Thesaurus and the Bible.

Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in 1928 in St Louis, Missouri, and lived with her mother until she was raped by her mother's boyfriend. In England she became famous in the early Seventies with the first of her volumes of autobiography.

……….
State Package for Hillary Clinton

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may tread me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise…….

[cali]

9. Indeed she did.

I prefer the poem she riffed off of to create her hillary epistle, but it's true that a number of literary ignoramus hillbots didn't know the difference between the 1978 poem and the one she wrote for hilly.

[ekwhite]

12. No argument from me

She apparently rewrote part of her "Still I Rise" poem in honor of Senator Clinton. Some people still seem to be confused about that.

[cliffordu]

14. The last time? PROMISE????? PLEEEZE!!!!!!

[LulaMay]

19. Oh, Clifford. Something tells me you don't really give a damn about Maya Angelou

[cliffordu]

20. I love Maya Angelou.....

The constant misuse of her material, however, is specious at best.

[ClayZ]

24. I love Maya Angelou, too!

Here is a poem by an Obama Supporter!

I found it very moving!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYpR19GM71g

[itcfish]

22. Shhhhh Don't Tell

The Hillary haters that. It might just prove that Hillary is not a racist.

[noel711]

23. Lula darling..

I admire your passion for Senator Clinton....

Dr. Angelou, who wrote the original "And still I rise'
in 1978 for Black women,

took a few stanza from the original,
and wrote a few verses for Senator Clinton.

It's her perfect right to do that, as the 1978 original
was hers. But it wasn't written originally for
the senator. The second version for Hillary,
the first version for Black women.

This is getting ridiculous.

As in the case of people bashing Rev. Wright,
folks need to do their homework.

[The Night Owl]

62. Do you have a reading comprehension problem or something? {EOM}

[Nia Zuri]

25. "a black woman, but a woman nonetheless" very telling

[LulaMay]

26. It means "however", not "less than". It means she identifies as a woman like Sojourner Truth did

[Texas Hill Country]

28. oh, shut up.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. So we're not supposed to criticize her kitschy poem?

OK

[LulaMay]

29. If you wish to make a fool of yourself by calling Maya Angelou's work kitschy, go right ahead.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

30. This latest piece is pure pap.

Not her good stuff. Frankly, it reads like a student assignment turned in late. I'm guessing Clinton supporters kept bugging her to right a poem, so she threw them a bone.

[LulaMay]

35. Accusing Maya Angelou of selling out as a poet for political gain? Classy.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

36. Pretending to like this poem? Silly

[LulaMay]

40. Why don't you write and tell her you think it was like a last minute student assignment?

since you feel so comfortable anonymously insulting her here.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

41. Because I really don't give a shit what she thinks.

That said, Maya Angelou's a professional. I think she can handle a little criticism.

[LulaMay]

43. Obviously, and you're so respectful of her too.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

45. More respectful of her then this silly poem.

But I'm sure she thinks it's kitsch too.

[LulaMay]

49. You respect her more than her work?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

55. More than this work.

Seriously, would you like this re-write if it weren't about Clinton?

[LulaMay]

63. I'd like to see her reaction if you were to say that to her face. Who are you to asess her work?

An English Professor?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

74. Do you really think she gives a shit?

Am I an English professor? No.

Although I've known a few who didn't care for Angelou. And they're talking about her good stuff.

[illumn8d]

79. Appeal to Authority much?

[illumn8d]

80. DUPE

Please ignore.

[LulaMay]

64. It isn't a 're-write'. I like her poem, and I like what she expressed about Hillary.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

75. it's an excerpt from "Still I rise" with nonsense about Clinton thrown in.

It's like that "Goodbye England's Rose" reworking of "Candle in the Wind" that Elton John did, combined with that graduation speech set to Pachelbel's canon.

[dchill]

91. Sounds like she wrote it a 5 a.m.,

with a glass of wine in her hand. Oops - she did.

[Recursion]

93. In fairness, like most "popular" poets she takes a lot of critical heat

I think Vidal called her the "Tom Clancy of poetry"; that's a little much but I can see what he's getting at. I like some of her work, though even if this poem were a masterpiece it wouldn't really change my decision (Virgil wrote the Aeniad for Augustus; doesn't mean I would want him as President).

[NDambi]

34. It's La La La Lula...again..and indignant nonetheless...lmao

La La La Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[LulaMay]

42. I find the disregard for her work insulting.

[NDambi]

44. What disregard are you speaking of La La..I've said nothing about Ms. Maya...

[LulaMay]

52. I did. I think her work deserves to be properly cited, and not abused for arguments sake.

[NDambi]

57. La La...where did I abuse Maya's work? Don't go off in a false direction...stay with me

[LulaMay]

66. It isn't about you. My post is about some here people distorting her work and abusing it

for their own argumentative purpose.

[NDambi]

69. Oh okay...for I am one that love Maya...I'm a published poet myself...and if you notice..

I have Phyllis Wheatley (one of the first black female poets, in my sig line).

Edited to add:

Oh never mind..I changed my sig the other day and inserted a quote from Malcolm X..I forgot..lol

[LulaMay]

53. BTW- Do you watch the Sound of Music a lot?

[NDambi]

59. Ugh La La.....heck no! How about The Wiz...

Ease on down, Ease on down the road
come on, Ease on down, Ease on down the road
don't you carry nothing that might be a load come on, Ease on down Ease on down, down the road

Pick your left foot up, when your right foots down
Come on lets keep moving and don't you lose the ground
You just keep on Keepin' on the road that you choose
Don't you give up walking cause you gave up shoes

Ease on down, Ease on down the road (come on)
Ease on down, Ease on down the road
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, Ease on down, down the road

Cause there may be times when you think you lost your mind
And the steps you're taking leave you three four steps behind
But the road you're walking might be long sometimes
You just keep on stepping and you'll be just fine (yeah)

Ease on down, Ease on down the road (ease on down)
Ease on down, Ease on down the road (ease on down)
Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on
Ease on down, Ease on down, down the....

For there may be times, when you wish you wasn't born
And you wake one morning just to find your courage gone
but you know that feeling only last a little while
you just stick with us and you'll be just fine (yeah)

Get 'em up, moving down (ease on down the road)
Get 'em up, moving down (ease on down the road)
Get 'em up, moving down(ease on down the road)
Get 'em up Get 'em up (ease on down)


Don't you carry nothing that might be a load
Come on

whoooo hoooo...
:woohoo: :radio:

[LulaMay]

67. Do-re-me-fa-so-LA-LA-LA-te-do. I thought maybe you were a Von Trapp.

[NDambi]

70. Nah,..my grandmothers name was LulaBelle..and instead of calling her Nana, or Grandma, I called her

La La...since I was a kid...much cuter..and your screen name just brings it out in me...

No offense, really.

We may disagree--but La La isn't meant in a mean way...

[SeaLyons]

37. K&R

:kick:

[TexasLady]

47. Politics aside

I have always liked the way Ms. Angelou reads her own poetry. It's really beautiful.

[LisaM]

56. Why is it whenever someone who's respected endorses Hillary

The Obama people lose it?

[rodeodance]

58. envy,

[LulaMay]

60. Because it makes distorting the truth much harder.

[Umbram]

92. Are you too biased to see this happening on both sides? (nt)

[leftstreet]

68. "a black woman, but a woman nonetheless"

You just can't help yourself, can you.

[LulaMay]

72. Again, it means 'however', not 'less than'. It means she identifies as a woman like Sojourner Truth

did.

Read the thread, I already explained this.

[Barb in Atl]

86. Ummm....

It's the "nonetheless" that throws me. There are smoother ways of saying it...

Maya Angelou feels what it is to be a woman in this world, a black woman, but a woman nonetheless.

Actually, upon revisiting that whole line... it's troublesome. "Maya feels what it is to be a woman..." ya don't say? That seemed kinda' silly. But then when you take the thing all together...

She feels what it is, not knows what it is to be a woman in this world, a black woman - something completely apart and seperate -, but a woman nonetheless.

Oh yeah, big issues with your sentence.

Be that as it may, I have a great deal of respect for Maya Angelou AND Hillary Clinton. I also think that it was a very nice gesture to take one of her signature poems and modify it for the person that she thinks is the most qualified to be president.

Best of luck to you and your candidate - but moreover, best of luck to us all. May the best democratic candidate take the white house and drag a whole slew of congress people with ...(insert gender specific pronoun here).

[dchill]

71. Thanks for promising it's "For the Last Time:"

"...a black woman, but a woman nonetheless." How utterly artless of you.

[LulaMay]

73. Pick up a dictionary.

[dchill]

76. I get enough exercise, thanks.

[OzarkDem]

83. Those are Maya Angelou's words

Do you consider her "artless"?

Obama supporters are filled with so much hatred and anger. That's artless.

[dchill]

88. No, they're not. They are LulaMay's words.

I have no quarrel with Maya Angelou, and my opinion of her art is not at issue here. Check your eyes or your facts or your quotes or whatever it is that makes you so crabby and jumpy.

The line I find "artless" is: "Maya Angelou feels what it is to be a woman in this world, a black woman, but a woman nonetheless."

Unless Maya refers to herself in the third person and LulaMay didn't give proper credit, then the line is LulaMay's, and it's quite artless, to put it mildly. I am not filled with "hatred and anger" - that's projection. Once again.

[JVS]

77. For the last time? yeah right.

:eyes:

[Firespirit]

78. Yes, DU was spammed with this a week ago... we do remember it.

As Bornagin said upthread, Elton John rewrote his ditty about Marilyn Monroe to be about Princess Diana. The original version was far less cheesy, and the same holds true for this poem.

[LulaMay]

84. Have you ever tried Spam? Because I don't think you know what it is.

[Firespirit]

85. No, I don't spam message boards, nor conspire with others to do so.

SPAM is a trademark for a type of canned meat.

Spam is sending useless information over the Internet to fill up a message board or e-mail box.

I'm a software engineer. I know very well what spam is, thanks. :hi:

[OzarkDem]

81. Beautiful poem, so inspirational

She knows Hillary well and captures her spirit.

[Kahuna]

87. Who cares?

:shrug:

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

90. would it also apply to Obama's feminine side?