What do You think about Celebrations: Rituals Of Peace And Prayer (2006)?
Maya Angelou is a genius, plain and simple. Her words are like honey. They trickle down into the soul, little by little, slowly, soothing pain and lifting the spirit on their way. Every piece in this collection marks some special event, thus the title Celebrations. "On the Pulse of the Morning," read at President Clinton's inauguration; "Amazing Peace," presented at the 2005 lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House; "A Brave and Startling Truth," which marked the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, a poem for Oprah's fiftieth birthday, one for the bar mitzvah for Angelou's nephew, and several others. As I set this book aside, a few stanzas stay with me, working their way through the maze of my mind and finding their permanent place in my soul. Definitely recommended.
—Sherry
Reading Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer the week Maya Angelou slipped into eternal peace seemed fitting.... This small book of her poems is generously endowed with sparkling gems of wisdom. My favorite among them is found in "Ben Lear's Bar Mitzvah" and reads, ...Please know, prayers lay in the road where you will plant your feet.Please know that aspirations of your family are high at your back, and surround you entirely.Please knowthat great hopes of your devoted shower you withardent wishes for your being and for your future.Your belovedsknow that you are entering a nationwhere you must learn the differencebetween seeking after justice and lusting for revenge.They know alsothat you will meet those who would be kind if only they had the courage, andthose who would do evilif only they had the opportunity.You will be bathed in the morning dew of truthand you will drink down the brackish water offalse witness.Be wary, my nephew, but fear only God,for you have a limitless resource of powerfullove.... (91-93)
—Shannon
Maya Angelou is an interesting and important figure: inspiring, fun, charismatic, strong. She was a wonderful woman who was great to listen to. But I don't feel that all of these positive attributes consistently find themselves in the quality of her poetry, at least as it exists on the printed page.The opening poem of this book, "On the Pulse of the Morning," (which is probably my favorite occasional poem) is an effective balance of the positive, unique impact occasional poetry can have. It's an infusion of Angelou's character into poetic text--a poem that is social, political, unifying, and cosmopolitan, with strong pacing and interesting lines, while maintaining a strong sense of accessibility that's present in all of her poems.However, many of the other poems in this collection don't quite strike this balance. The ideas in the poems are definitely important, but many of the pieces are stronger as speeches and snippets of optimistic and uplifting letters (with line breaks). The poems employ dull repetition, unexplored generalizations, and a lack of nuance and specificity that would make many sections of these poems great for Hallmark cards.The books works as topical/thematic reminders for particular people and occasions, and as a book of poetry for those who may not read poetry widely nor study poetic craft. The positive trade-offs are that the accessibility and lack of density make for a very quick read, and if you're looking for some simple words to pick up your day, this is probably a great place to turn.
—Marlin Jenkins
