The Most Popular Quote From I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

According to Insider, one of the most memorable quotes from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is the quote, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

At age 8, Maya is molested and then raped by her mother Vivian's boyfriend — Mr. Freeman — after she and Bailey move in with them. Overwhelmed by a feeling of guilt because her perpetrator is brutally killed afterward, Maya stops talking to anyone save her brother. Her silence continues even when she's sent back to live with "Momma" (via Britannica), and she only resumes speaking when an encouraging Bertha Flowers influences her to enjoy the power of literature by reading poetry, per Spark Notes. 

In a true testament to triumphing over trial, Angelou's first book not only allowed her to find courage as a young woman, but gave her a platform to tell her story in her own words (via Biograph).