hours in the back of this building, her grandmother's general store, reading the classics, memorizing shakespearece she found her voice. yet there would be more suffering to come. at 16 she had a child. at 18 she ran a brothel. by 20 she was dancing in a strip joint. but soon there after the wistful word whispered buy her mother changed it all. >> i went to her house. she looked at me, she said, "baby, just a minute. i want to till you something. she said i think you are the great woes mest woman i ever me" i thought, "suppose she is right? suppose i am really somebody?" maybe it is time for me to stop smoking, stop cursing. because i may be somebody. >> reporter: even her name comes out of a struggle. born marguerite ann johnson, her brother stuttered and could call her maya. angelou was her married name, dropped the husband and kept the name. one of maya angelou's greatest gifts. take the worst life can give, find good in it and tell the world. >> here on the pulse of this new day, you may have the grace to look up and out, and into your sister's eyes, and into your brother's face, your country

shakespeare. i loved a dishonest. i memorized 60 of them. i love them. i was trying to communicate and i couldn't speak. i wouldn't speak. so the pen and i begin our almost 70 year, 65 year-old relationship. thank you. [applause] >> good afternoon, dr. angelou. me and my friends wonder if you could recite your poem, still our eyes. it's a very inspirational poem to us. it will give us what we need to continue on this quest of school. >> i will do it. i will do as the last thing i do, i promise you. thank you for asking. okay, yes, ma'am. yes, sir? >> i'm an eighth grade english teacher. >> thank you. [applause] >> thank you. >> and i teach poetry, and i just wanted some advice. i love poetry and i try to get that across to my students, but from one teacher to another, is there a way that -- i try to improve teaching poetry every year, and i never feel like i do it justice. do you have any words of? >> yes. first, the wanting to do it is a long way towards the success of it, and even having it to do. that's a great blessing, thank you. there's some things

shakespeare. i love this on its and i memorized 60 of them. i loved them and i was trying to communicate and i couldn't speak and i wouldn't speak and so the pen and i begin our 65-year-old relationship. >> thank you. >> good afternoon, doctor. me and my friends were wondering if you can recite your poem that is very inspirational to us and it will just give us what we need to continue on the quest of school and everything. >> all right, i will do it. thank you for asking. >> okay, yes, ma'am? >> hello, i am an eighth-grade english teacher. >> thank you. thank you. >> i teach poetry and i just wanted some advice or dial-up poetry and i try to get that across to mice events. but from one teacher to another, is there a way? i try to improve teaching throughout the year and i never feel like i do it justice. do you have any words? >> yes. first in wanting to do it, it is a long way toward the success of a and even having it do, that is a great lesson. and there are some things and first i will say it what not to do. some poets recite and some are

shakespeare, of course. john killings. books meant to as much to me. i spent seven years of my life as a mute. but i read. i read everything. and i memorizedverything. so many writers i just -- it's -- and they still inform my life. >> books not only helped her gain her voice but transformed her past, encouraged by her good friend james baldwin he ask wrote her first novel, the u toe biographical "i know why the caged bi caged bird sings" in 1968. since then she's written everything from poems to children's books to cookbooks. in 1992, her poetry reached millions of americans at president bill clinton's inauguration. >> across the wall of the world of river things sings a beautiful song and it says, come, rest here by my side. >> and while her writing continues to inspire audiences of all generations, her impact doesn't end there. you spent your life helping others, reaching out, supporting and including me. why do you do that? what motivates you inside? with your celebrity status that you feel you still need to reach back? >> i owe it to another person to say what i've learned. i think that each one of us lives in relation to the heroes a