We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. — Maya Angelou | Printable Wall Art

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”

Words by Maya Angelou (1928-2014) — Poet and author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

About this quote

This line draws a clear distinction between suffering a temporary setback and allowing oneself to be permanently broken. While external circumstances might cause individual failures, true defeat only occurs when a person chooses to give up entirely. The phrase encourages resilience, reminding us that facing hardship is an inevitable part of life, but retaining our inner strength remains within our control.

Maya Angelou shared this famous observation during a 2008 interview with Psychology Today, drawing on her long life as an author, poet, and civil rights activist to reflect on human courage and perseverance through adversity.

People often hang this print in a home office or study as a steady daily reminder of resilience.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.