text: shaker , why don 't you sing ? shaker , why don 't you sing ? is author and poet maya angelou 's fourth volume of poetry , published by random house in 1983 . it was published during one of the most productive periods in angelou 's career ; she had written four autobiographies and published three other volumes of poetry up to that point . 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 . many of the poems in shaker focus on survival despite threatened freedom , lost love , and defeated dreams . over half of them are love poems , and emphasize the inevitable loss of love . " caged bird " , which refers to angelou 's first autobiography , is contained in this volume . background shaker , why don 't you sing is maya angelou 's fourth 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 . the publication of shaker , why don 't you sing occurred during one of the most productive periods of angelou 's career . she had written songs for roberta flack and had composed movie scores . she had written articles , short stories , tv scripts and documentaries , autobiographies , and poetry , she produced plays , and was named a visiting professor of several colleges and universities . angelou was given a multitude of awards during this period , including over thirty honorary degrees from colleges and universities from all over the world . in 1981 , after ten years of marriage , angelou and her husband paul du feu divorced . angelou returned to the southern united states , where she accepted the lifetime reynolds professorship of american studies at wake forest university in winston - salem , north carolina , and taught a variety of subjects that reflected her interests , including philosophy , ethics , theology , science , theater , and writing . 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 them . bloom calls her performances " characteristically dynamic " , and says that angelou " 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 's began , early in her writing career , alternating the publication of an autobiography and a volume of poetry . by the time shaker was published in 1983 , she had published four autobiographies , eventually going on to publish seven . her publisher , random house , placed the poems in shaker 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 were her three previous collections , just give me a cool drink of water ' fore i diiie ( 1971 ) , oh pray my wings are gonna fit me well , and and still i rise ( 1978 ) , along with i shall not be moved , published in 1990 . angelou 's publisher placed four poems in a smaller volume , entitled phenomenal woman in 1995 . themes according to critic carol e. neubauer , like angelou 's previous poetry collections , " shaker celebrates the ability to survive despite threatened freedom , lost love , and defeated dreams . neubauer also states that the poems in this volume are full of " the control and confidence that have become characteristic of angelou 's work in general " . their tone moves from themes of strength to humor and satire , and captures , more than her previous poetry , the loneliness of lovers and the sacrifice that many slaves experienced without succumbing to defeat or despair . over half the poems in shaker focus on love and doomed relationships . in " the lie " , for example , the speaker feels compelled to use deception to protect herself from her lover 's abandonment . in the brief poem " prelude to a parting " , the speaker instinctively senses the inevitable and implicit end of her relationship , especially when her lover draws away from her touch . not all the love poems in the volume focus on dishonesty or deception , but most , such as the title poem " shaker , why don 't you sing ? " , describe the inevitable loss of love . the rest of the poems in shaker emphasize determination despite the " anguish over the oppression of the black race " , and deal with the cruel treatment of slaves in the south . in the poem " family affairs " , angelou uses the german fairy tale " rapunzel " as a framework to summarize her painful origins of slavery and to compare black / white tensions . critic j. t. keefe calls it " a wise and deeply felt poem " . neubauer considers angelou 's poem " caged bird " , which she says " inevitably brings angelou 's audience full circle " with her first autobiography , as the most powerful poem in the volume . keefe agrees , and calls it angelou 's " central motif " and a rhythmical and hypnotic chant that cries out to be sung " . neubauer states , " her poems in shaker , why don 't you sing imply that as long as such melodies are sung and heard , hope and strength will overcome defeated dreams " . scholar yasmin y. degout agrees , and cites " a plagued journey " as an example of angelou 's themes of liberation found in all her poetry . in the poem , angelou calls for a reconsideration of the beliefs that limit human beings , and insists that " hope allows action and forces engagement with the world " . reviews janet b. blundell , in library journal , finds angelou 's poetry lacking in comparison to her prose , and states , " the reader is jarred by stilted , ' poetic ' language and stilted , sing - song , school - girlish rhyme " . she finds the best poems in shaker are the ones that are structured like blues music . mary s. cosgrove , in horn book magazine , calls the poems in shaker " a lyrical outpouring of seasoned feelings from the heart and mind " , and calls angelou " musical , rhythmical , and enchanting " . j.t. keefe , in world literature today , says about shaker " : " light and graceful , maya angelou 's poems are lyrical , emotional , melancholy " . keefe compares angelou 's poems to music , especially the music of french singer édith piaf , and also states , " these poems are full of shining hurt as , like curving scimitars , they skillfully pierce the hearts of their readers " . poems shaker , why don 't you sing ? , which contains 28 poems , is dedicated to angelou 's son , guy johnson , and to her grandson , colin ashanti murphy johnson .