Poem 3 - Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

Still I Rise

By Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Analysis

            In the poem, Still I Rise, Angelou mentions about the theme of racism and sexism, oppression and confidence. For example, Angelou says, " You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. ", which gives the idea of confidence within the author. In addition, the author mentions, "You may kill me with your hatefulness", showing a theme of oppression towards the black community in America. Therefore, due to the oppression against the black community, it leads to the theme of racism. The poem is based on the slavery of Africans in America. Angelou uses simile, " but still, like dust, I'll rise", which makes a direct comparison between the author and the dust as to how both can rise - by rising, the author means standing up for herself. Similarly, Angelou uses a simile to show comparison between herself and the air. Moreover, there is a use of metaphor - " I'm a black ocean " - where author is comparing herself to the skin colour "black" and also give an idea of her strength by comparing herself to the ocean, which has the power to overcome any difficulties. Strong imagery creates feelings Angelou wants her readers to feel - "Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. " - creating a feeling of guilt and shame, which is possibly what the slaves might have to do in front of the racist people at that time in America. Personification is  also present in the poem - "past that's rooted in pain" - through which the author is trying to give human emotion of pain to the past to give a better understanding of the difficult time passed by her. The literary devices help readers understand the actual meaning by analysing the device either through comparing with a particular thing or using imagery or putting human characteristics or qualities into objects.

            One way I connect to the poem is through bullying. When I came new to Canada, few first days were really hard to survive. Anytime I would have died during those days. Everyday, I would be bullied by someone because of the way I talked. However, I did not bow down or surrender and just move forward with a positive attitude and avoiding those bullies. Finally, when I stopped paying any attention towards them,  they stopped and I guess I had more confidence in myself than ever and my life was peaceful again. After facing such serious problems, I can connect to how the author is feeling when she and other people get discriminated as to how they look; it is really painful and unpleasant. However, the author is much more mentally stronger than me as she fought against those bad people while I just tried to stay away by not noticing them when they said terrible things.

            The meaning of the poem is just to never give up and keep fighting for your rights with confidence as you are not doing anything wrong in that. Although of insults and assaults, Angelou claims to get over with it and move forward on the road of progress. At the time when the author wrote this poem,  she was definitely giving hope to those fellow slaves in America facing heavy discrimination through her confident talks against oppression and racism. Someone would write this poem to send a message to the suffering that to change things lies in their hands and in their actions. The purpose of this piece is to teach people to be bold and face their problems fiercely that problems will get scared of you.

            I agree to Angelou's message of being bold against bad people as unless our voices are heard, nothing will happen. Moreover, if we let down against something wrong,  we are committing that crime as we give a rise to that crime by not stopping it. Instead, if we are not impacted by the bad people, it will make them look like fools and they will eventually bring an end to their bad actions.