Poem Analysis: Still I Rise

Lindsey Zulkosky

Prof

English 101

1 December 2015

Analysis of ‘Still I Rise’ Everyone has experienced discrimination in their lives. Whether it is in the form of racism, sexism, or just some type of discrimination. Maya Angelou has experienced racism in her lifetime. She was not alive when people of color were slaves, but she still understood what they went through to become free people. She knew the stories that were told about slavery. Angelou wrote a poem, “Still I Rise”, which depicts how racism and discrimination are still affecting black people today. Angelou wants people to know that even if they beat her down she will continue to rise every time that this happens. Maya Angelou’s poem ‘Still I Rise’ has one main theme which is discrimination.

Maya Angelou was not a slave, however she was still discriminated against for being black. The readers know that Angelou is talking about slavery because of the first stanza, “You may write me down in history/With your bitter, twisted lies,/You may trod me in the very dirt/But still, like dust, I'll rise”. The word history suggests that she is talking about what has happened in the past, mainly slavery. The slaves were put down and discriminated against because of the color of their skin. White people took Africans from their homes and forced them to become slaves, The slaves were discriminated against because they were different from the white people. Angelou uses dust to present the theme of perseverance, “But still, like dust, I'll rise”. Maya Angelou declares that regardless of the abuse the speaker suffers, that she will rise: she will not disappear, she will not be defeated and she will not be held back. She even speaks about her people’s past living in huts and was “a past rooted in pain”. Her people are all black people that have been discriminated against. “I am the dream and the hope of the slave”. This line provides closure to the long fought battle. This is a poem that speaks of a challenge to those who wish to be a person of color that is not limited in their lives, and it is a declaration of freedom for the black race. The colour black is usually used to create a sense of fear

These examples of figurative language prove that discrimination is the main theme of the poem. In the quote, “just like moons and like suns”, Angelou compares moons and suns to how she will continuously raise herself up no matter how she is treated. If she is discriminated against she will continue to rise. The repetition of “I’ll rise” shows that she will continue to get up even after she has fallen, and she will not give up. She knows that she is strong and will overcome this discrimination. When she continues to repeat quotes like “Does my sexiness offend you”, it brings the reader to a personal level. It helps the reader to understand what she is going through and how she will defeat this battle. The way that Angelou uses expensive items like gold mines, oil wells, and diamonds shows that she is relating these to the value of herself. She is worth just as much as everyone else and therefore she should receive just as much respect and love like others. Discrimination puts her down and tells her the opposite of this. When Angelou says “shoulders falling down like teardrops” she is describing what people want her to feel like, how she believes people want her to act. If someone’s shoulders drop, they usually lose confidence in themselves. This is compared to tears falling down a face. To be able to overcome discrimination that anyone faces, you must have confidence that you will defeat