Understanding Slavery
One of the central ideas that are explored in her poems is that of slavery. This is a recurrent theme and is a significant idea that is fostered in her works. In a poem like "Woman Work", she explores dual ideas of slavery and gender inequality. The woman in the poem talks about picking cotton, a clear indication of the racial undertones of the poem.
In all of her poetry, Maya Angelou relentlessly condemns the very idea of slavery and promotes egalitarianism. She becomes one of the harshest critics of slavery and her poetry documents the brutalities of the lives of slaves.
Gender Inequality
Another recurrent theme in the poetry of Maya Angelou is gender inequality. As mentioned before, in Woman Work, the life of a woman is seen akin to that of a slave. She writes about the quotidian struggles faced by a woman because of the discrimination that has been internalized in the society that makes the woman an inevitable victim of patriarchy.
Love
A less polarizing and arguably more universal theme that permeates across the poetry of Maya Angelou is that of love. This love can be individual love or one for humanity. In the poem When You Come To Me, the poet talks about love in the most conventional sense. She talks about the themes of love and pain that often go hand in hand. In this poem, a lover has come back to as for forgiveness. This poem shows a less political side of Maya Angelou's poetry.
