November Poem
Woman Work
By: Maya Angelou
BORN : Marguerite Johnson, April 4, 1928, St.
Louis, Missouri EDUCATION : Attended public school in
Stamps, Arkansas and San Francisco,
California Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best­selling books
including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , A Song
Flung Up to Heaven and Even the Stars Look Lonesome In January 1993, she became only the second poet in
U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting
original work at the Presidential Inauguration. Nov 3­1:51 PM
Oct 30­4:27 PM
Woman Work
I‛ve got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I‛ve got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
LANGUAGES FLUENT IN: ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, ITALIAN, ARABIC, WEST AFRICAN FANTI
She has written and published over 40
books, plays, or essays
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
‘Til I can rest again.
She has acted in more than 24 movies or
television shows. You might recognize her
from the TV series, "Touched by an
Angel".
Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You‛re all that I can call my own.
Maya Angelou
Oct 30­4:34 PM
Nov 1­7:48 AM
Woman Work
What do you
think is the
message of
this poem?
What does
the poet
wish for?
I‛ve got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I‛ve got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
Woman Work
What is the
focus of the
first stanza?
Does the
woman have
an easy life?
What details show
you that?
I‛ve got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I‛ve got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
‘Til I can rest again.
Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
‘Til I can rest again.
Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You‛re all that I can call my own.
Maya Angelou
Nov 1­7:48 AM
How does
the poem
end?
How does the focus
change in the next
stanza?
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You‛re all that I can call my own.
Maya Angelou
Nov 1­7:48 AM
1
What type
of rhyme
scheme
do you
see?
Woman Work
I‛ve got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I‛ve got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.
Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.
What are some
words the author
uses that show
the poem is the
description of the
life of a female
slave?
Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
‘Til I can rest again.
Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.
Write your own list of your
responsibilities using 6 short
phrases. Skip a few lines then
write 4 longer, more complex
phrases describing your hope or
wish. Skip a few lines and then
write 3 phrases telling something
you are thankful for.
Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You‛re all that I can call my own.
Maya Angelou
Nov 1­7:48 AM
Nov 1­7:50 AM
Oct 30­1:15 PM
2