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''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. ==Background== ''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".〔 Angelou began, early in her writing career, alternating the publication of an autobiography and a volume of poetry.〔 Her first volume of poetry, ''Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie'' (1971), which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize,〔 followed her first autobiography, and ''Oh Pray'' followed the publication of her second autobiography, ''Gather Together in My Name'' (1974). Her publisher, Random House, placed the poems in ''Oh Pray'' in her first collection of poetry, ''The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou'' (1994), perhaps to capitalize on her popularity following her reading of her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993.〔 Also in the 1994 collection was ''Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie'' and two more published after ''Oh Pray'', ''And Still I Rise'' (1978) and ''Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?'' (1983). Angelou's publisher placed four more poems in a smaller volume, entitled ''Phenomenal Woman'', in 1995.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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