maya angelou argumentative essay

English Studies

This website is dedicated to English Literature, Literary Criticism, Literary Theory, English Language and its teaching and learning.

“Equality” by Maya Angelou: A Critical Analysis

Equality” by Maya Angelou was published in 1978 in her collection And Still I Rise.

Introduction: “Equality” by Maya Angelou

Table of Contents

Equality” by Maya Angelou was published in 1978 in her collection And Still I Rise . The poem uses powerful repetition and vivid imagery to convey the speaker’s unwavering determination in the fight for equality and freedom. Angelou uses metaphors like “blinders” and “padding” to represent societal barriers imposed upon the speaker, and emphasizes an enduring, rhythmic spirit with references to drums and a pulsing tempo. Her work doesn’t simply mention qualities and features, it embodies them.

Text: “Equality” by Maya Angelou

You declare you see me dimly through a glass which will not shine, though I stand before you boldly, trim in rank and marking time. You do own to hear me faintly as a whisper out of range, while my drums beat out the message and the rhythms never change. Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free. You announce my ways are wanton, that I fly from man to man, but if I’m just a shadow to you, could you ever understand ? We have lived a painful history, we know the shameful past, but I keep on marching forward, and you keep on coming last. Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free. Take the blinders from your vision, take the padding from your ears, and confess you’ve heard me crying, and admit you’ve seen my tears. Hear the tempo so compelling, hear the blood throb in my veins. Yes, my drums are beating nightly, and the rhythms never change. Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free.

Annotations: “Equality” by Maya Angelou

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Equality” by Maya Angelou

Themes: “Equality” by Maya Angelou

• Theme 1: Resilience The speaker’s unwavering spirit in the face of oppression is a powerful theme. They’ve been subjected to attempts to diminish and silence them (“you declare you see me dimly”) but their strength shines through. The repeated phrase “And still, like dust, I’ll rise” highlights that no matter how they are treated, their spirit remains unbroken.
• Theme 2: Inherent Human Equality Angelou challenges the very foundation of oppression by highlighting the shared humanity between the speaker and those who would seek to dominate them. The lines “the same hot blood,” and “the same cool breath” emphasize that the speaker is fundamentally equal to those who treat them unjustly.
• Theme 3: Defiance Against Oppression This poem stands as a defiant call against all forms of oppression. The speaker boldly proclaims “Equality – and I will be free” challenging the power of their oppressors. The repeated phrase “You may… but still” (as in “You may shoot me with your words… but still, like air, I’ll rise.”) highlights their refusal to be subdued.
• Theme 4: Inevitability of Change Angelou cleverly uses natural imagery to convey the inevitability of social change and the pursuit of justice. The rising sun is a recurring image of hope and new beginnings, while the reference to “the tide that rushes in” paints the fight for equality as a natural and unstoppable force.

Literary Theories and “Equality” by Maya Angelou

Critical Questions about “Equality” by Maya Angelou

1. How does Angelou use the drumming imagery to establish both the speaker’s internal rhythm and connection to a greater movement?

• “Now you understand / Just why my head’s not bowed. / I don’t shout or jump about / Or have to talk real loud. / When you see me passing, / It ought to make you proud.”
• Analysis: The drumbeat can represent the indomitable spirit within the speaker, and likely connects to broader traditions of African and African-American music as expressions of resistance and community.

2. How does the shift in tone, from questioning to assertive, reflect the speaker’s journey toward empowerment?

• “You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I’ll rise.”
• Analysis: Early stanzas pose questions, reflecting doubt and uncertainty. Yet, the declarations of the later stanzas show a shift toward an unwavering belief in inevitable equality.

3. How does the speaker’s connection to nature undermine the oppressor’s attempts to diminish them?

• “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.”
• Analysis: Natural imagery (sun, tide) portrays forces beyond human control. This links the drive for equality to something unstoppable, making attempts at control seem futile.

4. Could this poem be interpreted as a call to action, and if so, what kind of action is encouraged?

• “Equality, and I will be free.”
• Analysis: The poem doesn’t outline practical steps, but stirs a defiant spirit. Is this about inner strength, collective action, or something else entirely?

Literary Works Similar to “Equality” by Maya Angelou

• “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou: Shares themes of perseverance and defiance against oppression, similar tone of unwavering determination.
• “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley: Focuses on the indomitable human spirit in the face of adversity, offering a parallel to the speaker’s resilience in “Equality.”
• “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou: Explores the fight for freedom from both literal and figurative forms of captivity, thematically similar to “Equality”.
• “I, Too” by Langston Hughes: Asserts the speaker’s place in American society, mirroring “Equality’s” demand for recognition of inherent equality.
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass: Autobiographical account of a fight for freedom from slavery; directly highlights systemic oppression that “Equality” also addresses.
• “ Letter from Birmingham Jail ” by Martin Luther King Jr.: A powerful argument for social justice and call to action, similar to the implicit challenge in “Equality” against complacency.
• “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday: Protest against racial violence, mirroring the subtler but still present critique of unjust systems in “Equality.”
• “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke: Civil Rights era anthem embodying hope and the inevitability of change, similar to the thematic undercurrent in “Equality.”

Suggested Readings: “Equality” by Maya Angelou

Scholarly monographs:.

• Braxton, Joanne M. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: A Casebook . Oxford University Press, 1999. (Provides in-depth analysis of Angelou’s work, often including attention to her poetry and the recurring themes relevant to understanding “Equality”.)
• Gillespie, Marcia Ann, et al. Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration . Doubleday, 2008. (While focused on Angelou’s life, this work likely offers contextual details and insights that could shed further light on the motivations and themes present in “Equality”.)

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:

• McWhorter, John. “Saint Maya.” The New Republic , vol. 219, no. 11, 1998, pp. 35-41. (Offers a critical, sometimes contrarian perspective on Angelou’s legacy, inviting a multifaceted understanding of how readers engage with “Equality”.)
• Neubauer, Paul. “Maya Angelou: Poetic Witness.” The Missouri Review , vol. 31, no. 3, 2008, pp. 77-95. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20712891. (Focuses specifically on Angelou’s poetic techniques, providing tools for close reading and deeper analysis of “Equality.”)

Reputable Websites:

• Poetry Foundation: Maya Angelou. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ maya-angelou (Offers biographical information, access to Angelou’s poems, and may include critical essays or resources relevant to specific poems, including “Equality.”)
• The Academy of American Poets: Maya Angelou. https://poets.org/poet/maya-angelou (Similar to the Poetry Foundation, providing a starting place for research and potential critical analyses.)

Related posts:

• “The Darkling Thrush” by Thomas Hardy: Analysis
• “The Lady of Shalott” by Lord Tennyson: Analysis
• “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen: Analysis
• “Terminus” by Ralph Waldo Emerson: Analysis

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

Still I Rise Summary & Analysis by Maya Angelou

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“Still I Rise” is a poem by the American civil rights activist and writer Maya Angelou. One of Angelou's most acclaimed works, the poem was published in Angelou’s third poetry collection And Still I Rise in 1978. Broadly speaking, the poem is an assertion of the dignity and resilience of marginalized people in the face of oppression. Because Angelou often wrote about blackness and black womanhood, "Still I Rise" can also be read more specifically as a critique of anti-black racism.

• Read the full text of “Still I Rise”

The Full Text of “Still I Rise”

“still i rise” summary, “still i rise” themes.

Defiance in the Face of Oppression

• Lines 10-12

Lines 13-16

Lines 17-20, lines 21-24, lines 25-28.

• Lines 29-32

The Power and Beauty of Blackness

• Lines 19-20
• Lines 22-23
• Lines 27-28
• Lines 33-34
• Lines 39-40

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Still I Rise”

You may write ... ... dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness ... ... my living room.

Just like moons ... ... Still I'll rise.

Did you want ... ... my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness ... ... my own backyard.

You may shoot ... ... air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness ... ... of my thighs?

Lines 29-34

Out of the ... ... in the tide.

Lines 35-40

Leaving behind nights ... ... of the slave.

Lines 41-43

I rise ... ... I rise.

“Still I Rise” Symbols

Valuable objects

• Lines 7-8: “I walk like I've got oil wells / Pumping in my living room”
• Lines 19-20: “I laugh like I've got gold mines / Diggin’ in my own backyard”
• Lines 27-28: “I dance like I've got diamonds / At the meeting of my thighs”

• Line 10: “the certainty of tides”
• Lines 33-34: “I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, / Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.”

“Still I Rise” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Line 21: “You may shoot me with your words”
• Line 22: “You may cut me with your eyes,”
• Line 23: “You may kill me with your hatefulness”
• Line 29: “the huts of history’s shame”
• Line 33: “I'm a black ocean”
• Line 40: “I am the dream and the hope of the slave”
• Line 4: “like dust, I'll rise”
• Line 9: “Just like moons and like suns”
• Lines 11-12: “Just like hopes springing high, / Still I'll rise”
• Line 24: “like air, I’ll rise”

Rhetorical Question

• Lines 5-6: “Does my sassiness upset you? / Why are you beset with gloom?”
• Lines 13-16: “Did you want to see me broken? / Bowed head and lowered eyes? / Shoulders falling down like teardrops, / Weakened by my soulful cries?”
• Line 17: “Does my haughtiness offend you?”
• Lines 25-28: “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?”
• Line 1: “You may”
• Line 3: “You may”
• Line 4: “But still, like dust, I'll rise.”
• Line 5: “Does my”
• Line 7: “’Cause I”
• Line 9: “Just like”
• Line 11: “Just like”
• Line 12: “Still I'll rise”
• Line 17: “Does my”
• Line 19: “’Cause I”
• Line 21: “You may”
• Line 22: “You may”
• Line 23: “You may”
• Line 24: “But still, like air, I’ll rise.”
• Line 25: “Does my”
• Line 30: “I rise”
• Line 32: “I rise”
• Line 36: “I rise”
• Line 38: “I rise”
• Lines 41-43: “I rise / I rise / I rise.”
• Line 2: “bitter, twisted”
• Line 4: “still, like dust, I'll”
• Line 24: “still, like air, I’ll”
• Line 33: “ocean, leaping”
• Lines 1-2: “history / With”
• Lines 7-8: “wells / Pumping”
• Lines 18-19: “hard / ’Cause”
• Lines 19-20: “mines / Diggin’”
• Lines 26-27: “surprise / That”
• Lines 27-28: “diamonds / At”
• Lines 29-30: “shame / I”
• Lines 30-31: “rise / Up”
• Lines 31-32: “pain / I”
• Lines 35-36: “fear / I”
• Lines 36-37: “rise / Into”
• Lines 37-38: “clear / I”
• Lines 38-39: “rise / Bringing”

Alliteration

• Line 1: “may,” “me”
• Line 3: “may,” “me,” “dirt”
• Line 4: “dust”
• Line 5: “sassiness upset”
• Line 6: “beset,” “gloom”
• Line 7: “walk,” “got,” “wells”
• Line 9: “suns”
• Line 10: “certainty”
• Line 11: “hopes,” “springing,” “high”
• Line 12: “Still”
• Line 13: “broken”
• Line 14: “Bowed”
• Line 17: “Does”
• Line 18: “Don't”
• Line 19: “laugh like,” “got gold”
• Line 20: “Diggin”
• Line 21: “You,” “may,” “me,” “with,” “your,” “words”
• Line 22: “You,” “may,” “cut,” “me,” “your”
• Line 23: “You,” “may,” “kill,” “me,” “your”
• Line 25: “Does,” “sexiness”
• Line 26: “Does,” “surprise”
• Line 27: “dance,” “diamonds”
• Line 29: “huts,” “history’s”
• Line 31: “past,” “pain”
• Line 33: “wide”
• Line 34: “Welling”
• Line 39: “gifts,” “gave”
• Line 1: “me,” “history”
• Line 2: “With,” “bitter,” “twisted,” “lies”
• Lines 4-4: “But still, / dust, I'll ”
• Line 4: “like,” “rise”
• Line 5: “upset,” “you”
• Line 6: “Why,” “you,” “beset,” “gloom”
• Line 7: “I,” “walk,” “like,” “I've,” “got”
• Line 8: “Pumping,” “in,” “my,” “living,” “room”
• Line 9: “like,” “like”
• Line 10: “tides”
• Line 11: “like,” “high”
• Lines 11-12: “springing / , / Still I'll ”
• Line 12: “rise”
• Line 13: “see,” “me”
• Line 14: “Bowed,” “lowered ,” “eyes”
• Line 15: “Shoulders,” “down”
• Lines 15-16: “teardrops, / Weakened by my ”
• Line 16: “soulful,” “cries”
• Line 18: “hard”
• Line 19: “I,” “like,” “I've,” “mines”
• Line 20: “my,” “backyard”
• Line 21: “You,” “shoot”
• Line 22: “You,” “eyes”
• Line 23: “You”
• Line 24: “like,” “I’ll ,” “rise”
• Line 25: “sexiness upset”
• Line 26: “surprise”
• Line 27: “I,” “like ,” “I've,” “diamonds”
• Line 28: “thighs”
• Line 29: “huts,” “shame”
• Line 31: “Up,” “past that’s,” “pain”
• Line 33: “I'm,” “wide”
• Line 34: “Welling,” “swelling,” “I ,” “tide”
• Line 35: “behind,” “nights,” “fear”
• Line 37: “wondrously,” “clear”
• Line 39: “Bringing,” “gifts,” “my,” “gave”
• Line 40: “I,” “slave”
• Lines 41-43: “I rise / I rise / I rise”

“Still I Rise” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• (Location in poem: Line 3: “trod”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Still I Rise”

Rhyme scheme, “still i rise” speaker, “still i rise” setting, literary and historical context of “still i rise”, more “still i rise” resources, external resources.

"Still I Rise" and Today's America — Read about the relevance and meaning of "Still I Rise" to America today. 

The Political Power of "Still I Rise" — Learn how the poem has remained relevant for contemporary political figures and celebrities. 

"Still I Rise" Art Exhibit — Learn how other artists have been inspired by and responded to Angelou's poem.

Maya Angelou Recites "Still I Rise" — Listen to the poet read "Still I Rise" aloud.

"Still I Rise" Music Video — Watch a video that creatively integrates Angelou's recitation of the poem with relevant images.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Maya Angelou

Country Lover

Harlem Hopscotch

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

On the Pulse of Morning

Phenomenal Woman

When Great Trees Fall

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Still I Rise

By Maya Angelou

‘Still I Rise’ is an inspiring and emotional poem that’s based around Maya Angelou’s experiences as a Black woman in America. It encourages readers to love themselves fully and persevere in the face of every hardship.

Maya Angelou

Nationality: American

She's also known for her autobiographical works.

Key Poem Information

Unlock more with Poetry +

Central Message: You should never give up no matter the challenges

Themes: Beauty , Celebration , Dreams , Identity , Journey , Love , Wellness

Speaker: A black woman

Emotions Evoked: Confidence , Courage , Excitement , Happiness , Honor , Hope , Joyfulness , Optimism

Poetic Form: Free Verse

Time Period: 20th Century

'Still I Rise' is a powerful and inspiring poem that celebrates the strength, resilience, and courage of Black women, and encourages them to stand up and rise above the oppression and discrimination.

Poem Analyzed by Allisa Corfman

Degree in Secondary Education/English and Teacher of World Literature and Composition

Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) , born in 1928, lived through some of the worst oppression and inequality for African American people. Although slavery had been long abolished, Angelou saw its effects on society and the African-American people. ‘Still I Rise’  is her declaration that she, for one, would not allow the hatefulness of society to determine her own success.

The poem, ‘Still I Rise ,’ is not only a proclamation of her own determination to rise above society but was also a call to others to live above the society in which they were brought up. 

Explore Still I Rise

• 3 Structure and Form
• 4 Tone and Mood
• 5 Poetic Techniques and Figurative Language
• 8 Symbolism
• 9 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
• 10 Historical Context
• 12 Similar Poetry

‘ Still I Rise ‘ by Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) is an inspiring and moving poem that celebrates self-love and self-acceptance.

The poem takes the reader through a series of statements the speaker makes about herself. She praises her strength, her body, and her ability to rise up and away from her personal and historical past. There is nothing, the speaker declares, that can hold her back. She is going to “rise” above and beyond anything that seeks to control her.

You can watch Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) recite the poem below.

The title of the poem, ‘Still I Rise’ is a proclamation against the society that tries to dominate the speaker’s voice . The speaker or the poetic persona represents the poet’s voice. She represents the black community as a whole.

Through this poem, she tries to break through the shackles of domination and raises her voice to say that she and her people are no longer mute. They have got the voice to proclaim their rights. No matter how hard they try, she will prove to them the abilities of black people.

The phrase, “I rise” is not about a singular uprising. It’s a collective revolutionary voice that consists of the raging uproar of a class, oppressed and betrayed for a long time.

Structure and Form

‘Still I Rise’  is a nine-stanza poem that’s separated into uneven sets of lines. The first seven stanzas contain four lines, known as quatrains , stanza eight has six lines and the ninth has nine. The first seven stanzas follow a rhyme scheme of ABCB , the eighth: ABABCC , and the ninth: ABABCCBBB.

Tone and Mood

Within  ‘Still I Rise’ Angelou takes a strong and determined tone throughout her writing. By addressing her’s, and all marginalized communities’ strengths, pasts, and futures head-on, she’s able to create a very similar mood . A reader should walk away from  ‘Still Rise’  feeling inspired, joyful, and reinvigorated with courage and strength.

Poetic Techniques and Figurative Language

Angelou makes use of several poetic techniques and different kinds of figurative language in  ‘Still I Rise’.  These include anaphora , alliteration , enjambment , and similes . The first, anaphora, is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines, usually in succession. In this piece, a reader should look to stanza six for an example. Here, Angelou uses the phrase “You may” at the start of lines one through three.

Alliteration occurs when words are used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with the same letter.  For example, ” huts of history” in line one of the eighth stanza and “gifts” and “gave” in stanza nine.

Another important technique commonly used in poetry is enjambment. It occurs when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Enjambment forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly. One has to move forward to comfortably resolve a phrase or sentence. For example, the transition between lines two and three of the first stanza and two and three of the second stanza. 

A simile is a comparison between two unlike things that uses the words “like” or “as”. A poet uses this kind of figurative language to say that one thing is similar to another, not like metaphor , that it “is” another. In the third stanza of  ‘Still I Rise’  with the line “Just like hopes springing high” or in lines three and four of the fifth stanza: “’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines / Diggin’ in my own backyard”.

The major poetic themes of this work are self-empowerment, perseverance, and injustice.  Throughout the text, the speaker, who is commonly considered to be Angelou herself, addresses her own oppressor. The “you” she refers to represents the varieties of injustices that people of color, women, and all marginalized communities have dealt with as long as history has been recorded.

She throws a prior self-derogatory way of thinking to the side and addresses herself lovingly and proudly. The poet seeks to empower herself, as well as all those who have doubted their abilities, strength, beauty, intelligence, or worth. This is seen through lines like “You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I’ll rise”.

This poem is filled with vivid imagery . To begin with, there is visual imagery in the very beginning. Through this line, “But still, like dust, I’ll rise.” So, here the image of “dust” helps the speaker to make her point. According to her, none can control the dust when the revolutionary wind arrives. Likewise, she will rise like dust particles and blind those who trod her before.

The following stanzas contain some more images. For example, readers can find the image of oil wells pumping oil. The third stanza has images of the moon, sun, and tides. In this stanza, she depicts the tides that are springing high. It is compared to “hope”.

There is an image of a black individual who is in extreme distress. This image represents how they were tortured and made silent by the unlawful fist. Angelou uses the images of “gold mines” and “diamonds” to heighten the irony of this piece. Lastly, the “black ocean” unfolds how powerful the speaker and her people are. Their greatness is like that of the immensity of the ocean.

Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’ is a symbolic poem. It contains several symbols that refer to different ideas. For example, in the first stanza, the poet uses “dirt” as a symbol . It represents how the black community was treated in history.

In the following stanzas, there are several symbolic references. These are “oil wells”, “gold mines” and “diamonds”. They collectively refer to the resourcefulness of the speaker. Those symbols do not deal with anything materialistic, rather they hint at her intellectual wealth.

In the fourth stanza, the moon and sun represent the speaker herself. While the upward movement of tides symbolizes how hope springs in her heart concerning the future. Besides, some phrases deal with the concept of slavery in this line, “Bowed head and lowered eyes.”

There is an important symbol of the “black ocean” in the eighth stanza. This ocean represents black people. The speaker says, “I’m a black ocean”. Here, it acts as a symbol of energy and immensity. The last stanza contains another symbol in the usage of the word “night”. It is a symbol of fear, oppression, and pessimism.

Analysis, Stanza by 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.

In this stanza, Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) gives her heart and soul to declare that nothing and no one could oppress her or keep her down. She doesn’t care what the history books saw, for she knows they are full of “twisted lies.” She will not let it bother her that others “trod” her “in the very dirt.” She proclaims that if she is trodden in the dirt, she will rise like dust.

Does my sassiness upset you? (…) Pumping in my living room.

In the second stanza, she asks a question. This is an interesting question, as she refers to her own tone as “sassiness” and asks the hearer if her sassy tone is upsetting. The poet notices that the people around her in her society are “beset with gloom” when she succeeds. She questions this. She knows that she is succeeded in life, in her writing, and as a woman. The “oil wells pumping in [her] living room” symbolize her success.

Stanza Three

Just like moons and like suns, (…) Still I’ll rise.

In this stanza, she compares herself to the moon and the sun as they are affected by the tides. This gives the reader the understanding that the speaker has no other choice but to rise out of her affliction. Try as a society might keep her oppressed, it is in her nature to rise and stand against oppression just as it is the nature of the tides to respond to the moon.

Stanza Four

Did you want to see me broken? (…) Weakened by my soulful cries.

The speaker’s questions in this stanza are direct, pertinent, and appropriately accusing. She knows that her own success is received with bitterness by the racist people in her society. So she directs these questions at a society that has long tried to keep her oppressed. She asks them if they want to see her broken, oppressed, depressed, and bitter.

She asks these questions know that this indeed is what many in society wanted. They did not want to see a black woman rise out of the oppression of her society and succeed. The speaker knows this and she draws attention to it with these revealing, yet cutting questions. 

Stanza Five

Does my haughtiness offend you? (…) Diggin’ in my own back yard.

She continues with the questions directed at a racist society when she asks whether her “haughtiness” is offensive. She knows that society resents seeing a black woman full of pride. This question has an air of sarcasm which serves to point out the hypocrisy of society as it is embittered by the success of one that it has tried to oppress. The speaker continues in a sarcastic tone as she pretends to comfort the hearer.

The poet says, “don’t you take it awful hard.” This is her sarcastic way of pretending to care for those who resent her success. She continues, however, to in a sense “flaunt” her success before the society that has always oppressed her. She claims that she has “gold mines” and that she laughs at the success she has found.

You may shoot me with your words, (…) But still, like air, I’ll rise.

In this stanza, she lets society know that no matter what it does to oppress her, it will not succeed. The poet lets society know that it cannot prevail against her with words or looks. She proclaims that society cannot prevail against her even if it managed to have her killed because of its hatefulness. She claims that she will still “like air” rise.

Stanza Seven

Does my sexiness upset you? (…) At the meeting of my thighs?

The speaker continues her questioning of society. By this time in the poem, it becomes apparent that the speaker has placed society on trial and is now in the process of cross-examination. She knows the answers to these questions, but to ask them is to incriminate the offender. While she asks incriminating questions, she simultaneously reveals incredible self-confidence despite the oppression of society.

Stanza Eight

Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise (…) I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

In this stanza, the speaker finally refers to the past- the reason that she is oppressed and resented to this day. She calls slavery “history’s shame” and she proclaims that she will not be held down by the past, even if it is “rooted in pain.”

Stanza Nine

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.

In the final stanza, the speaker reveals that she intends to leave behind all the effects of slavery and the history of oppression with the intent to rise above it. She claims that she will leave behind the “terror and fear” and that she will rise above the pain and the oppression “Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear.”

The speaker does not intend to allow the hatefulness of society or the pain of the past to stop her from becoming all that she ever dreamed of being. For this reason, she repeats three times, “I rise.”

Historical Context

The poem, ‘Still I Rise’ was published in Maya Angelou’s poetry collection, “And Still I Rise” in 1978. It is the collection’s title poem. This poem appears in the third part of the book. Angelou wrote a play in 1976 by the same title and the work also touches on similar themes such as courage, injustice, and spirit of the Black people. This poem appeared in an advertising campaign for the 50th anniversary of the United Negro College Fund in 1994.

In an interview in 1997, Angelou stated that she used the poem to sustain herself in hard times. According to her, not only the black but also the white used it similarly. This inspirational poem has some references that make readers look back at history. It reminds how black people were treated in the past. The speaker is one of them. She firmly speaks against the injustices against them and says no matter how much society tries to throttle her voice, she will rise like the phoenix.

Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’ is told from the perspective of a first-person speaker . So, it’s a lyric poem .

Maya Angelou wrote this poem inspired by the struggle of black people. Her speaker represents the community and expresses their courage to fight back against the odds of time as well as society.

In this poem, Angelou’s speaker talks with the racist people. She refers to them as “you” and straightforwardly begins this poem. This “you” can also be a reference to those who try to subjugate others for their benefit.

The speaker of this piece represents the African American spirit. In this poem, Angelou makes it clear it does not matter how hard the discriminating minds try, the voice of her community can never be muted.

This poem communicates an important message to readers. It tells readers that remaining hopeful about one’s abilities and trusting in the inherent qualities are the best weapons to fight against racial discrimination, inequality, and injustice.

The phrase, “history’s shame” is a metaphor for slavery and racial discrimination.

Angelou’s poem presents a speaker who takes pride in her identity. She is courageous enough to talk about her body and her inherent qualities. Besides, she is an embodiment of the indomitable courage of black people.

Similar Poetry

Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) is best known for her empowering poems that seek to celebrate the female body and mind, specifically dedicated to Black women . The following poems are similar to Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘Still I Rise’ .

• ‘ Phenomenal Woman ‘ by Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) – This poem defies the stereotypes that women often face in today’s world. It is filled with strength and determination.
• ‘ Woman Work ‘ by Maya Angelou ( Bio | Poems ) – This poem celebrates the strength of women. It uses natural imagery to speak on this theme and various others.
• ‘ Power ‘ by Audre Lorde – Audre Lorde ( Bio | Poems ) , one of the best-known 20th-century American poets, describes the real-life murder of a ten-year-old black boy and the court case concerning the killing in this poem.
• ‘ Primer for Blacks ‘ by Gwendolyn Brooks ( Bio | Poems ) – This piece by Brooks, one of the well-known African-American poets , speaks on the necessity of accepting one’s black identity and the future that will result from that acceptance.

You can also read about the best poetry of African-American poets and these inspirational poems about hope .

Poetry + Review Corner

20th century, celebration, african americans, appreciation, beautiful women, being yourself, black lives matter, individuality, inner beauty, life struggles.

Home » Maya Angelou » Still I Rise

About Allisa Corfman

Join the poetry chatter and comment.

Exclusive to Poetry + Members

Join Conversations

Share your thoughts and be part of engaging discussions.

Expert Replies

Get personalized insights from our Qualified Poetry Experts.

Connect with Poetry Lovers

Build connections with like-minded individuals.

do you know is this analysis is peer reviewed.

this has been so helpful, thank you so much

No problem. I’m glad you’ve found it useful.

I really really like the information, It’s so complete, and all the contents are meaningful. If I’ll give rate on this, 100/10. It’s so perfect ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐..

Thank you – that’s really lovely feedback.

I don’t like this kind of poetry, it is about self interest only ! Poetry is a fresh morning spider web telling a story of moonlit hours of weaving and waiting during the night !

I disagree – poetry is whatever the reader brings to the poem! I think this is a wonderful poem.

this is the most boring stuff ever y do teachers make us do stuff like this

From a teacher: Because communication is at the heart of everything we do. This conversation, you applying for a job, all these things require you to communicate and poetry is arguably the most beautiful form of communication. Why not study something so beautiful? I’d suggest if you hate poetry that maybe diversify a little, some of the canonical poems found in schools can appear a bit stuff. Maybe try out someone like Mark Grist who is a bit cooler and more relatable.

ur awesome!!!!, patte smart malli

Access the Complete PDF Guide of this Poem

Poetry+ PDF Guides are designed to be the ultimate PDF Guides for poetry. The PDF Guide consists of a front cover, table of contents, with the full analysis, including the Poetry+ Review Corner and numerically referenced literary terms, plus much more.

Get the PDF Guide

Experts in Poetry

Our work is created by a team of talented poetry experts, to provide an in-depth look into poetry, like no other.

Cite This Page

Corfman, Allisa. "Still I Rise by Maya Angelou". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/maya-angelou/still-i-rise/ . Accessed 15 August 2024.

Help Center

Request an Analysis

(not a member? Join now)

Poem PDF Guides

PDF Learning Library

Beyond the Verse Podcast

Poetry Archives

Poetry Explained

Poet Biographies

Useful Links

Poem Explorer

Poem Generator

[email protected]

Poem Solutions Limited, International House, 36-38 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3NG, United Kingdom

Download Poetry PDF Guides

Complete Poetry PDF Guide

Perfect Offline Resource

Covers Everything Need to Know

One-pager 'snapshot' PDF

Offline Resource

Gateway to deeper understanding

Get this Poem Analysis as an Offline Resource

Poetry+ PDF Guides are designed to be the ultimate PDF Guides for poetry. The PDF Guide contains everything to understand poetry.

Discover and learn about the greatest poetry, straight to your inbox

Unlock the Secrets to Poetry

A Summary and Analysis of Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I Rise’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Still I Rise’ is a poem by the American poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014), published in her 1978 collection And Still I Rise . A kind of protest poem which is defiant as well as celebratory, ‘Still I Rise’ is about the power of the human spirit to overcome discrimination and hardship, with Angelou specifically reflecting her attitudes as a black American woman.

You can read ‘Still I Rise’ here .

‘Still I Rise’: summary

Beginning with a pointed and direct reference to ‘you’, Angelou opens her poem with a neat piece of wordplay: ‘write down in history’ means both ‘write down the history of me and my people’ but also ‘write me down, i.e., downplay me and my achievements by lying about me’. Although people may seek to belittle her and other African-Americans, Angelou asserts that, even if she is trodden into the dirt, like the dust rising from someone’s boot, she, too, will rise and will not be defeated.

In the second stanza, Angelou poses a direct question. Is her sexuality, her confidence in herself and her own attractiveness, upsetting? She walks with confidence, as if she is as rich as an oil baron. And (moving to the third stanza) like the sun and the moon which rise every day and night, and like our hopes for a brighter future which persist despite hard times, she will continue to rise, too.

The moon image suggests the tides of the sea (which are a result of the moon’s gravitational pull on the earth’s seas), which also go out but come in again, as regular and dependable as the sunrise and sunset every day.

In the fourth stanza, more questions follow: Angelou accuses her addressee of wanting to see her spirit broken. But in the fifth stanza, she asserts her ‘haughtiness’: she holds her head high, rather than bowing it in submission or defeat. She laughs with the confidence and self-assurance of someone who is rich beyond their wildest dreams, with gold mines in their back yard.

The sixth stanza sees Angelou asserting her defiance: cruel words and unkind looks, and ‘hatefulness’ (a word which flickers with the dual meaning of both ‘detestable attitudes’ and ‘hatred for others’), may be slung at her and other black people, but they will rise ‘like air’: naturally and lightly.

The seventh stanza revisits the ‘sassiness’ mentioned in the second stanza, only this time it has been transformed into out-and-out sexiness. Angelou offers another variation on the confident swagger mentioned in earlier stanzas: this time, she looks as though she has diamonds at the ‘meeting’ of her ‘thighs’. The bodily or sexual and the wealthy and material have finally met and become one.

‘Still I Rise’ concludes by departing from the quatrain form used up until this point, instead ending with fifteen lines which see the refrain ‘I rise’ repeated multiple times. Angelou asserts that she, and others, rise from the ‘huts of history’s shame’ at how it has treated black people over the centuries. She is a ‘black ocean’, powerful, energetic, and vast, and she can bear and weather the tidal fluctuations that life throws at her.

Indeed, she is leaving behind those dark times of ‘terror and fear’ and a new dawn is beginning, which is brighter and more hopeful. Her ancestors, who had to endure slave labour and then, even once freed, generations of racial prejudice, dreamed of such a time, and now it is here: their ‘gift’ to her is in establishing the dream, which has now been realised, thanks to the struggles and fights of the Civil Rights campaigners like Angelou herself.

‘Still I Rise’: analysis

Maya Angelou’s work, both her poetry and her autobiographies, is about the importance of not being defeated by the obstacles and challenges life throws at you. When ‘you’ here denotes an African-American woman who grew up with more than her fair share of hardship, the message of her poems becomes even more rousing: Angelou had known what it was to struggle.

Despite these hardships, which included growing up as one of the few black girls in the town in Arkansas where she spent ten years of her childhood, Maya Angelou consistently reaffirms the positive and inspirational aspects of humanity, and ‘Still I Rise’ is one of her best-known poems which assert the life-affirming qualities within the human race.

Angelou acknowledges and even confronts directly the many oppressions and discriminations faced by black people throughout history, but the poem’s message is overwhelmingly positive and hopeful.

‘Still I Rise’ can be classified or categorised as an example of a lyric poem, because although it is not designed to be sung, it is a poem spoken by a single speaker, in which she expresses her thoughts and feelings. And the poem is both a personal lyric, a channelling of Angelou’s own tough upbringing and experiences, and a poem about a nation developing during the Civil Rights era, in response to writers and activists including Angelou herself.

‘Still I Rise’ is composed largely in quatrains rhymed abcb . The line lengths vary and the number of syllables and beats in each line also varies, giving the poem a sprightly, unpredictable feel. It belongs to a strong spoken-word tradition where poetry is returned to its oral roots: these are words meant to be recited, chanted, declaimed out loud in the living voice.

And the shift from more ordered abcb quatrains into a less predictable form in the poem’s final stanza is perhaps best analysed as a broadening out rather than a breaking down: the poet’s passion, confidence, and optimism burst into new life, and can no longer be contained by the conventional four-line stanza form. The form of the closing lines of ‘Still I Rise’ thus enact their meaning: they are rising above the past (embodied by the more traditional quatrain) and becoming something more individualised, spirited, and bespoke.

Discover more from Interesting Literature

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Critical Analysis of the Poem 'Caged Bird' by Maya Angelou through the Theme of Freedom

This paper analyzes Maya Angelou's poem under the theme of 'freedom' through two literary devices: tone and choice of words.

Related Papers

saima Perveen

In this research paper, the researcher has tried to find out the image of black female depicted in Maya Angelou's poems. This research has been conducted by qualitative and analytical method because this research has not numerical data. After collecting data, the researcher has analyzed poems and supported by particular idea of feminist Sara Mills. The researcher has chosen only three poems of ‘Still I Rise’, ‘Phenomenal Woman’ and ‘Caged Bird’. This study has been conducted by the use of black feminism. This research gives rise to enhance the argument in literature studies particularly Black Feminism self-esteem. The analysis has explained that black woman’s different images are depicted in Maya Angelou's poems. In the first poem ‘Still I Rise’, Maya Angelou presents black female as a leader of the movement and challenges the society arrangement about black people. In the second poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, Maya Angelou describes a standard of beauty that beauty is not having beautiful face and slim smart body and thin lip. She says that a black woman can be phenomenal woman through her confidence and good personality and proud herself being black woman. In last poem ‘Caged Bird’, Maya Angelou shows underdevelopment of black woman due to tradition. As a coloured woman Maya Angelou raises her voice and says that soon, black people will be free. The present research concludes that author is presenting theme of hope in all above poems and she is a courageous black woman. Keywords: black feminism, Maya Angelou, identity and coloured women

Farah Nisar

African Americans also known as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa. African Americans constitute the second largest racial and ethnic minority in the United States. They are descendants of enslaved blacks of the United States.

SAIKAT GUHA

Leila Naderi , Shiva Amelirad_Shafiei

Abstract: The black female writers who have made a significant contribution to African American Literature knew that it was necessary to tell their stories which were influential in their struggle against the forces of domination in the American canon. Although Angelou’s poetry has a large public, it does not have the deserved esteem. This article explores the fact that Angelou, through her outstanding poems, illustrates the black female voice and expresses her criticism of discrimination and injustice. Meanwhile, she tries to create a culture to celebrate the notion that Black subject is beautiful and unique.

Dr.THAHIYA AFZAL

Angelou’s autobiographical self-narrative prose and resonant poetry echo each other interlinking the personality of the prose-writer and the poet persona together as one person – the dynamic – Maya Angelou. I know why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou’s debut as an autobiographer, is the dramatized narrative of racial and sexual forces as they shape the individual black female self (body and mind) in the ‘south of segregation’. Reading the black and female body in the text means exploring an ‘identity’ built on fracture, on the razor edge between silence and songs, death and survival.

Sadiqa B A T O O L Naqvi

Script Journal

This study aimed to find out the kinds of figurative language in the five selected poetries of Maya Angelou, the titles are: Alone, Caged Bird, Old Folks Laugh, Phenomenal Woman, Still I Rise. The focus of this study is figurative language which involves

Gholnecsar "Gholdy" Muhammad

PADMORE AGBEMABIESE

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Muhammad Yasir Khan

Johannes Kieding

Sonia Bhattacharya

soundhariya asokarathinam

bakhtiar hama

Jendral Besar

Martina Pfeiler

Meta DuEwa Jones

Kian Pishkar Assistant Professor

VEDA'S JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE [JOELL]

elissa mondschein

SMART M O V E S J O U R N A L IJELLH

Helize van Vuuren

Dr. Sarah Armstrong Jones

sumru kanar

Chung Chin-Yi

Christa Buschendorf

Kelvin Govindaraj

Alicia Ivonne Estrada

Gel Melendres

Shrabanee Khatai

Marcia A Dawkins

Hafsa Shah , Abdul Bari Niazi

Mohamed A Eno

Sophia Madiha

Abdul Bari Niazi

Minasie Gessesse

Imesha Perera

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis

Save to my list

Remove from my list

• Black Codes - History.com
• Civil Rights Movement - Wikipedia
• Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation
• Racial segregation in the United States - Wikipedia

Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis. (2020, Sep 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay

"Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis." StudyMoose , 2 Sep 2020, https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay

StudyMoose. (2020). Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay [Accessed: 15 Aug. 2024]

"Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis." StudyMoose, Sep 02, 2020. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay

"Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis," StudyMoose , 02-Sep-2020. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay. [Accessed: 15-Aug-2024]

StudyMoose. (2020). Graduation by Maya Angelou Analysis . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/graduation-by-maya-angelou-analysis-essay [Accessed: 15-Aug-2024]

• Maya Angelou `The Graduation` Pages: 5 (1486 words)
• Exploring Tone in "Graduation" by Maya Angelou Pages: 2 (502 words)
• Maya Angelou's "Gather Together in Maya's Name" Pages: 4 (1125 words)
• Life Lessons in Maya Angelous Graduation Pages: 3 (650 words)
• Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou's Poem Analysis Pages: 2 (405 words)
• An Analysis of Self-Love and Pride in Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou Pages: 3 (848 words)
• Maya Angelou's Triumph: A Poetic Analysis of 'Still I Rise' Pages: 2 (550 words)
• I Know Why A Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou: Poem Analysis Pages: 3 (663 words)
• Dr. Maya Angelou (personality theory) Pages: 7 (1940 words)
• Displaying of Maya Angelou in Her Works Pages: 7 (2078 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

Home / Essay Samples / Literature / Writers / Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Essay Examples

The biography of maya angelou.

In this Maya Angelou research paper the in life and actions of this powerful woman is reviewed to show the significance of her life and the power of her influence.  Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis City in Missouri. Maya Angelou, a child of...

Discovering Self Through Race in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

A person's identity helps an individual to identify a particular question and answer the question “Who am I?' Identity is known to be an understanding of what someone or something is. This awareness contains two main components, including social identity and personal identity. The word...

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' Poetry Analysis

In 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' poetry analysis the book is reviewed. Characters, Maya and Bailey, were raised by their grandma who they in the long run began to call 'Momma'. Numerous elements all through the book 'I Know Why the Caged Bird...

Maya Angelou: a Voice that Moved a Nation

Maya Angelou is an American poet, writer, actress, and civil rights activist. Maya Angelou is most known for her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, published in 1969 which details her life in her eyes in hindsight. With this Novel, she etched her...

Maya Angelou and Her Feministic Views

Maya Angelou was a singer, poet, activist, the first female streetcar driver in San Francisco, and the first black female director in Hollywood. She worked with Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm x, she also worked on 2 presidential committees, and won many awards before...

Maya Angelou and Feminist Criticism

Maya Angelou is undeniably a feminist. Angelou set many milestones as a woman, claimed herself as a feminist, and wrote extremely women empowering messages in her writings. She is widely celebrated for her historic work. This includes many awards, one of her most significant being...

The Issue of Racial Bigotry in Maya Angelou’s Poetry

Maya Angelou had a very rough life from her childhood years up to her adult years. Specifically, she was always felt like she did not fit in with the rest of her peers. Angelou lived in the south most of her life. Though she lived...

Maya Angelou’s Firsts of Feminism

Acclaimed as one of the greatest voices of African-American literature, Maya Angelou is best known for her poem, “​Still I Rise​,” a story depicting her triumphs over tremendous anti-feminist social obstacles and her struggles to achieve a sense of identity following years of oppression and...

Examining Maya Angelou’s Life Through Her Poem the Mask

When Maya Angelou wrote “The Mask” it became a successful poem that expressed the emotions of being an African American in a society that shows abhorrence towards this ethnicity. Being raised in a segregated town as an African-American female and facing many prejudices, inspired the...

Maya Angelou - One of the Most Inspiring American Poets

Maya Angelou once said “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Ever since her younger years, Angelou has influenced the lives of others just by doing what...

Trying to find an excellent essay sample but no results?

Don’t waste your time and get a professional writer to help!

You may also like

• The Crucible
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Story of An Hour
• Frankenstein
• The Scarlet Letter
• Hamlet Revenge
• Heart of Darkness
• The Metamorphosis
• A Good Man Is Hard to Find
• Edgar Allan Poe Essays
• George Orwell Essays
• Zora Neale Hurston Essays
• Malcolm Gladwell Essays
• Walt Whitman Essays
• Amelia Earhart Essays
• Amy Tan Essays
• Mark Twain Essays
• Ernest Hemingway Essays
• Leonardo Da Vinci Essays

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->