I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
"Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie" is Maya Angelou's first 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", 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.