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Still I Rise

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou is a powerful poem that asserts resilience and self-affirmation in the face of oppression. The speaker addresses attempts to diminish her spirit through various forms of attack, yet repeatedly declares her determination to rise above them. The poem celebrates the strength derived from heritage and the human spirit's ability to endure adversity.

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41 views2 pages

Still I Rise

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou is a powerful poem that asserts resilience and self-affirmation in the face of oppression. The speaker addresses attempts to diminish her spirit through various forms of attack, yet repeatedly declares her determination to rise above them. The poem celebrates the strength derived from heritage and the human spirit's ability to endure adversity.

Uploaded by

rhiranyasini421
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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STILL I RISE

BY MAYA ANGELOU

You may write me down in history


With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does my sassiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise
Why are you beset with gloom? That I dance like I've got diamonds
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells At the meeting of my thighs?
Pumping in my living room.
Out of the huts of history’s shame
Just like moons and like suns, I rise
With the certainty of tides, Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
Just like hopes springing high, I rise
Still I'll rise. I'm a black ocean, leaping and
wide,
Did you want to see me broken? Welling and swelling I bear in the
Bowed head and lowered eyes? tide.
Shoulders falling down like
teardrops, Leaving behind nights of terror and
Weakened by my soulful cries? fear
I rise
Does my haughtiness offend you? Into a daybreak that’s wondrously
Don't you take it awful hard clear
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold I rise
mines Bringing the gifts that my
Diggin’ in my own backyard. ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the
You may shoot me with your words, slave.
You may cut me with your eyes, I rise
You may kill me with your I rise
hatefulness, I rise.

1. Author Introduction:

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a renowned American poet, memoirist, civil rights activist,
and performer. Her work explored themes of racism, identity, family, and resilience.
Angelou's most famous work is her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969),
which details her childhood experiences with racism and trauma. She received numerous
awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Angelou's powerful voice
and eloquent writing made her a significant figure in American literature and culture.
2. Summary of "Still I Rise":

"Still I Rise" is a powerful declaration of resilience and self-affirmation in the face of


oppression and adversity. The speaker addresses an unnamed oppressor, detailing the various
ways they attempt to diminish her spirit and break her down. The poem emphasizes the
speaker's unwavering determination to overcome these challenges and rise above them.

The poem progresses through several stanzas, each highlighting different forms of attack: lies
and slander ("You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies"), physical
oppression ("You may trod me in the very dirt"), attempts to break her spirit ("Did you want
to see me broken? / Bowed head and lowered eyes?"), and verbal and emotional abuse ("You
may shoot me with your words, / You may cut me with your eyes").

Despite these attacks, the speaker repeatedly asserts her resilience with the powerful refrain,
"Still I'll rise." She uses vivid metaphors and similes to illustrate her strength and unwavering
spirit, comparing herself to natural forces like dust, moons, suns, tides, air, and a vast ocean.
She draws strength from her heritage and the struggles of her ancestors, proclaiming, "I am
the dream and the hope of the slave."

The poem's tone shifts between defiance, confidence, and triumph. The speaker's voice is
assertive and unapologetic, refusing to be defined or controlled by her oppressors. "Still I
Rise" is ultimately a celebration of the human spirit's ability to endure and overcome
adversity, a testament to the power of hope and self-belief.

3. Glossary:

 Trod: Past tense of "tread," meaning to walk on or over. In the poem, it suggests
being trampled or oppressed.
 Beset: To be troubled or harassed persistently.
 Haughtiness: Arrogance or excessive pride.
 Offend: To cause displeasure or resentment.
 Awful hard: Very difficult or distressing.
 Huts of history’s shame: Refers to the historical suffering and oppression of
marginalized groups, particularly African Americans during slavery and subsequent
periods of discrimination. The "huts" symbolize the impoverished and degrading
conditions they were forced to live in.
 Welling and swelling: Rising and increasing in intensity, like waves in the ocean.
 Tide: The periodic rise and fall of the sea level, caused by the gravitational pull of the
moon and sun. In the poem, it symbolizes a powerful, natural force.
 Daybreak: Dawn or the beginning of daylight, symbolizing hope and a new
beginning.
 Wondrously clear: Exceptionally bright and clear, suggesting a positive future.
 Ancestors: People from whom one is descended, typically more distant than
grandparents.
 Slave: A person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them.

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