We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love’s light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Maya Angelou's poem Touched by An Angel

56 Comments

  1. sophia wilkerson says:

    what are some Beliefs Communicated in this Poem?

  2. Aaliyah says:

    I love this Poem. It is my favorite poem. Anytime my english teacher wants us to do something about poems i pick maya angelou’s touched by an angel!!!

  3. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  4. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  5. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  6. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  7. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  8. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  9. Allison M Switzer says:

    This poem shows the power of love. What love can be? I feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away. When you heart feels something it does not just disappear. Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. In the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the experience of love how would someone truly know what they are missing? Mrs. Angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are we will ever be. She is saying love involves great risks and possible pain. But in the end with true love there won’t always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person will surface. Maya talks about and angel in her poem. It’s not truly and angel but symbolic for love. How swiftly and unexpectedly it could happen. That you may not even know its there until an occurrence of pain may reveal what the heart truly feels. You never know what you have until it’s gone. Love is something to be cherished. Until someone has loved they don’t know their true self Love sets us free…

  10. allison says:

    this poem shows the power of love. what love can be. i feel that we can run all we want to from love but it will not just go away.When you heart feels something it does not just dissapear.Love heals and hurts but there is a good out come to it. in the end it will set you free. If someone was not given love or the expierence of love how would someone truly know what they are missing..Mrs. angelou is saying that love can make us. Love cost all we are and are wwe will ever be. she is saying love involves great risks and possiable pain. but in the end with true love there wont always be that down fall. Love had hardships but eventually it will set us free and show our true inner beauty and the true person weill surface. Maya talks about and angel. but its not turly and angel but symboliasm for love. how swiftly and unexpendenly it could happen. That you may not even know its there untill an accourance of pain may reveal what the heart truly feel. you never know what you have untill its gone. love sets a free…

  11. Marion says:

    I was asked to read this poem at my brother’s wedding and I can understand why after reading it. This poem is perfect for any occasion when love for another is being celebrated.

  12. Melanie says:

    Hi,
    Does anyone know what book Maya Angelou’s poem “Touched by an Angel” is printed? I looked in The complete Collected Poetry of Maya Angelou and it’s not even in there. I cannot seem to find which book it is in. Please let me know if you know.
    Thanks!!

  13. Whitney Sellers says:

    I just luv this poem and before the project my English teacher gave us i really had no iterest well now i can’t get enough so but this poem is inspiring and it has such good meaning to it and she really catches the readers attention by the vocab and the way she writes it.

    Plus Maya Angelou has some great poems but i think that this one is the best.

    🙂 Whitney 🙂

  14. Herlene says:

    it is a beautiful poem, so touching and inspiring.

  15. amber says:

    i never heard a poem like it. i love it

  16. PAMELA BROWN says:

    I was searching for the perfect poem to be read during my wedding on 5-20-06 Thank God I found yours. It is one of the greatest poem that explains the true meaning of love. It is an awesome poem. I love you Maya. You are definetly one of my role models.

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