Still I Rise, Maya Angelou

“Still I Rise”, by Maya Angelou is a poem that was released in 1978 as a part of the poet’s third volume of poetry, And Still I Rise. Angelou’s poetry has a massive cultural impact, particularly on the African American community. “Still I Rise” serves as an empowering message of resilience and power. The focus of this poem is overcoming the long standing and unjust prejudices that have been placed on Angelou as a woman of color. The speaker is addressing her oppressors directly. This direct address adds to the power that the poem holds. Regardless of how she is perceived, she will rise up and speak freely and confidently. She will use these freedoms to overcome what she is faced with in an inherently racist and sexist society.

The poem consists of seven quatrains and two repetitive end stanzas written in an ABCB rhyme scheme. Angelou’s use of enjambment impacts how the reader perceives the speed of the poem. Typically, it forces the reader to read more quickly to complete the thought. In this case, it does complete that goal, along with giving the poem a lyrical quality. This quality shines through, especially when read aloud.

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.

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 backyard.

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.

Discussion Questions:

Who is the audience? Who is the speaker?

How does the poet’s use of form impact how you read the poem?

What are some of the poetic devices Angelou uses? What do they do?

What do you feel is the tone of the poem?

Activities

Create a poem about obstacles that have personally been overcome.

Research the historical context surrounding the Civil Rights Movement. What inspired Maya Angelou to write this poem in particular?

Compare and contrast “Still I Rise” with other works by Angelou. Find common themes.

Images/Artwork Used

https://www.freelancer.com/contest/Design-a-TShirt-Still-I-Rise-911762-byentry-11711361

https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780394502526

https://www.readitforward.com/essay/article/authors-celebrate-90-years-of-maya-angelou/