![]() Not only does she not care that her attitude upsets them, but she seems even amused by that. She knows exactly why her oppressors are gloomy, she recognises the impact of her behaviour and personality, and is delighted by the fact that she bewilders them with her power and confidence. However, her tone is provocative and sarcastic rather than naive. In the second stanza, the speaker questions if her “sassiness”, her bold attitude, upsets her oppressors. She is challenging her oppressors and telling them boldly that they will not overcome her the way they used to oppress her ancestors: no matter what they try to do, she will resist. Therefore, she is not only angry, but confident since she is channelling her rage to find a way out. She will essentially rise above oppression and defy her oppressors. However, no matter how much the oppressors try to crush the speaker and other black people, she will “rise” like dust. The speaker creates an indelible image of black people being “trod” in dirt, not just knocked down, but trampled on so as to be pressed, injured. As the poem continues, the “you” turns out to be an oppressor, namely a white oppressor. The tone of the speaker in the first stanza is angry when she addresses the object of the poem, an unspecified “you”. helps reinforce the theme of individual hope. It is a powerful poem about the struggle to overcome prejudice and injustice, where the repetition of “I rise” in mantra style, to show that she is able to rise every time her oppressors try to knock her down. Maya is angry but is well aware of her strength.“Still I Rise” is a poem by Maya Angelou in her third volume of poetry with the same title, which was published in 1978 and focuses on the importance of hopeful determination to rise above difficulty and discouragement. The poem expresses how society wanted het to fail along with how she wasn’t affected by society. The poem has a A-B-C-B meter some of the rhymes were “gave” and “slave”, “wide” and “tide”, and “shame” and “pain”. She was constantly being brought down but the irony of it all was despite their viciousness she showed courage. In conclusion, Maya Angelou writes poems about political and social problems for example she describes her experience with society, using metaphors and similes to compare how she rose above the torment. “I’ll rise” is a constant repetition throughout the poem. Many metaphors were used to describe the pain they brought her: “cut me with your eyes”, “shoot me with your words”, “kill me with your hatefulness”. The irony is that society wanted Maya to breakdown but through it all she became stronger and wanted to show everyone that they were not going to get the best of her, “I’ll rise”. Maya also uses similes to compare her strength and courage “like moons and like suns” and “I laugh like I’ve got gold mines”. Maya also uses some similes to compare how she’ll rise from the obstacles: “like air, I’ll rise” and “like dust, I’ll rise”. The reputation of the S and H are examples of alliteration, “Does my sassiness upset you” and “Huts of history’s shame”. Simile, metaphor, repetition, alliteration, assonance and irony as some of the literary devices used. Throughout the poem Maya is upset or angry but she also knows she is brave. The poem begins with a A-B-C-B meter, lies and rise rhyme making that B while A and C don’t have any rhymes in the first stanza. ![]() The speaker’s audience appears to be everyone who is reading the poem. “Out of the huts of history’s shame” insinuates slavery. For her poem “Still I Rise” Maya writes about the history of African Americans and how she faced the inhumane actions that took place. To go more in depth, Maya Angelou likes to write about political and social subjects. Throughout the poem Maya ask questions like “Did you want to see me broken?”. ![]() But even though she was treated poorly she exuded confidence, “sassiness” and “sexiness”. Maya explains how society wanted her to react to their cruelness, “Bowed head and lowered eyes”, “Shoulders falling down like teardrops”, “Weakened by my soulful cries”. The poem exhibits a conflict between her and how women are treated in society. Still I Rise is about the speaker, Maya Angelou, experience as a woman and how she was treated by society. ![]()
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