Still I Rise

Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Born: April 4, 1928 Saint Louis Missouri
Died: May 28, 2014 (aged 86) Winston-Salem
North Carolina
Angelou had a difficult childhood. Her parents
split up when she was very young, and she
and her older brother, Bailey, were sent to live
with their father's mother, Anne Henderson,
in Stamps, Arkansas. As an African American,
Angelou experienced firsthand racial
prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas.
Notable Works: “Down in the Delta” “His Day
Is Done” “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
“On the Pulse of Morning”
 Still I Rise - poem
You may write me down in history Does my haughtiness offend you? I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
With your bitter, twisted lies, Don't you take it awful hard Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
You may trod me in the very dirt 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
But still, like dust, I'll rise. Diggin' in my own back yard. I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
Does my sassiness upset you You may shoot me with your words, I rise
Why are you beset with gloom? You may cut me with your eyes, Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells You may kill me with your hatefulness, I am the dream and the hope of the
Pumping in my living room. But still, like air, I'll rise. slave.
I rise
Just like moons and like suns, Does my sexiness upset you? I rise
With the certainty of tides, Does it come as a surprise I rise.
Just like hopes springing high, That I dance like I've got diamonds
Still I'll rise. At the meeting of my thighs?

Did you want to see me broken? Out of the huts of history's shame
Bowed head and lowered eyes? I rise
Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Up from a past that's rooted in pain
Weakened by my soulful cries. I rise
 Repeated 2nd person pronoun Analysis of the poem
directly targets the oppressor ,
adding a bitter edge to the tone Misinterpretation of Afro-Americans justifying slavery
Anaphora-reinforces the

Strong adjectives suggest the anger of the speaker as she defies them
power of the oppressor

You may write me down in history

Reference to the historical oppression
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt Simile- emphasizes the strength-despite its apparent insignificance , can be a
But still, like dust, I'll rise. powerful force. Also there’s an allusion to bible- God created everyone from
dust- equality

Use of colloquial phrases to show her

stubborn attitude , strength

Does my sassiness upset you There is ample sarcasm in these questions

Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Symbol of wealth- her confidence is highlighted-
Pumping in my living room. self empowerment
Nature imagery reminds the forces of
nature which are unstoppable Personification of hopes suggests her
Just like moons and like suns, persistent nature and her vigour
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high, Anaphora makes the phrase sound like a mantra –a
Still I'll rise. tone of self assertion is there

Rhetoric questions carry an accusatory

Did you want to see me broken? tone directed at the oppressor
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries. Semantic field of sadness/oppression

Questioning her oppressor she accuses the White saying that

this is what they want- to see the Black broken and sad
 Sarcastic tone is there in the question, sounds more
like a challenge to the oppressor
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Mocking the oppressor
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Symbol of wealth –suggests her self empowerment
Diggin' in my own back yard.
Personal possessive pronoun- shows her confidence and self
empowerment

Anaphora reinforces the power of the

oppressor

You may shoot me with your words, Verbs create a semantic field of violence
You may cut me with your eyes, suggestive of Black oppression
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise Simile- compares her rising to that of air-it is in her
nature to rise above just like air
The stanza offers a clear challenge
to her oppressor
Fearlessly celebrates her Possessive pronoun- she owns all her attributes with pride
womanhood
Does my sexiness upset you? In a sarcastic tone, she is challenging the oppressor
Does it come as a surprise
Suggests her freedom and joy despite challenges ,
That I dance like I've got diamonds
creating a defiant tone
At the meeting of my thighs?
Symbol of wealth and also represents her self worth

Alliteration brings emphasis to the history of slavery & it

is through this history she gathers her force
Pain is deeply embedded

Out of the huts of history's shame Changes to present tense – creating an effect of immediacy-anaphora and the
I rise present tense reinforces a sense of strength and vigour reflecting the force of
Up from a past that's rooted in pain their uprise
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Metaphor reiterates the force and strength of her while she also
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. embraces her identity with pride
Lexical choice further reinforces the strength and her
gathering force

Her resilience, endurance is highlighted, creates a

defiant tone challenging the oppressor
Juxtaposition creates a strong

Reminded of the racial violence- also there is a hopeful tone as

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear she is ready leave behind that painful past
I rise
Strong sense of hope is created
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise Demonstrates her pride in her origin and heritage
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave. She has assumed the role of an ambassador for her community-
I rise immense confidence and self worth reflected
hope

I rise
Anaphora makes the phrase sound like a mantra, reflects an unstoppable momentum
I rise
suggesting their gathering force also stimulating hope and strength in her readers too
 Form and structure of the poem

• There are 7 quatrains , 1 sestet and a 9 line stanza.

• Shift in the stanza length could reflect her defiance as she stands
against the stereotypes and conformities.
• At the initial part of the poem, she addresses the oppressor but after
the 8th stanza, she only asserts her strong opinion and challenges the
oppressor.
Essay Questions

How does the poet challenge her oppressor? In your answer you must write
about:
• Ideas about racism and oppression
• Use of comparison and images
• Poet’s use of words, phrases and techniques
You should support your answer with close reference to the poem, including
brief quotations.

(30 marks)