Selected Poems of Walt Whitman and Maya Angelou Reading Guide

Explore the themes of equality and freedom, the power of the individual, and audacity and resilience in this guide to selected poems from Walt Whitman and Maya Angelou. Part of the We the People Book Club, a year-long program contemplating America’s past and possibilities, this guide was created for individual and group use. Questions within each theme facilitate (1) your interpretation of the text, (2) your personal reflections inspired by your reading, and (3) practices for you to try that animate the poems' democratic values. Thanks to Julia Davis, Practicing Democracy Fellow, for writing these guides and coordinating the We the People Book Club program.