Maya Angelou

Glory Falls

Glory Falls - meaning Summary

Resilience Amid Suffering

The poem contrasts collective suffering and entrenched hatred with a persistent, communal ascent toward dignity. It begins with images of grief and oppression that burden people physically and morally, then shifts to a determination to rise "beyond the birds" and reject despair. The speaker presents growth as communal and ongoing: despite feeding on horror and carrying heavy legacy, people gradually reclaim honor for their brothers and sisters and continue to grow.

Read Complete Analyses

Glory falls around us as we sob a dirge of desolation on the Cross and hatred is the ballast of the rock which lies upon our necks and underfoot. We have woven robes of silk and clothed our nakedness with tapestry. From crawling on this murky planet's floor we soar beyond the birds and through the clouds and edge our way from hate and blind despair and bring honor to our brothers, and to our sisters cheer. We grow despite the horror that we feed upon our own tomorrow. We grow.

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