In a society where the impact of slavery still exists, Angelou declares that despite the levels of oppression, none can determine her success.
The stage to rise to the occasion has been long forthcoming, and at the right moment, Angelou believes that nothing will continue to hold her down. However, the change comes through self-respect and confidence responsible for overcoming the challenges. On reading the poem, Angelou clarifies that despite the injustices handed down to the African American community, a time has come for change to show. However, the oppression amounts to nothing, for the humiliation will still rise, like “air,” an element that cannot be troubled anymore. The choice of active verbs in words “shoot,” “cut,” and “kill” in the lines serve to emphasize the degree of oppression. Angelou (2020) shows this when she says, ”Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as some surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds at my thighs’ meeting?” At the climax of her message, Angelou uses lines one, two, and three in stanza six to bring out the oppressive nature of the relationship between members of her community and those in leadership. The use of hyperbole contributes to the nature of the narrator’s defiance of wild beauty. Self-confidence is conveyed through the use of the words “sassiness,” and Angelou backs it up with “haughtiness” and “sexiness” in stanzas five and seven, respectively. The words call the victims of injustice and prejudice to cling to hope no matter the situation.Īs Angelou communicates her message, there is defiance in how she tries to prick the oppressors by reminding them of the present realities and the past wrongs. Regardless of whether the people in power are from the military, the judiciary, or even the police, the poem sends out a clear hope message to the public.
In the first stanza, Angelou writes, “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” (Angelou, 2020). Moreover, the poem serves as a beacon of hope and reminds its readers of the power abuses by the people sitting in the government. Forming one of Angelou’s most popular and famous poems, it is used as an anthem when read by victims of wrongdoings. While the phrase “I rise” appears singular, it’s a collective revolutionary voice that incorporates the raging uproar of society that has been betrayed and oppressed for a long time.Īngelou’s Still I Rise is an empowering poem that revolves around the struggles of overcoming injustice and prejudice. No matter the strict approach used against the community, Angelou will prove that Blacks too have the ability. The African American community can use its voice to proclaim its rights. As she uses the poem, Angelou seeks to break through the bonds that dominate the society by raising her voice to the notion that no longer is she and her people mute.
The poetic persona of the narrator represents the poet’s voice, and she represents the entire African American community in the U.S. The proclamation Angelou makes shapes the meaning of the poem as she shows how society tries to dominate the narrator’s voice. Angelou forces her audience down to the next line through the style, as exemplified in lines two and three of stanzas one and two, respectively. Enjambment is also common in style used as it appears when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Alliteration is evident in stanzas eight and nine in huts of history and gifts and giving. Alliteration is used when Angelou uses words that appear at least close together, in succession, or at the start with the same letter. The first lines of stanzas two and five use the words does my. For example, lines one and three of stanza one use the words you may, and the first and third lines in stanza three use the words just like. In succession, repetition is the first anaphora used at different first lines throughout the poem. At different intervals, Angelou incorporates the use of alliteration, enjambment, and anaphora to convey her intention to the audience. The writing style employed in Still I Rise follows figurative language and poetic techniques.
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