Source: www.firstcover.com
"Still I rise"
by Maya Angelou
I can feel the poet’s miserable and
dangerous life, but also I can see her strong will and hope to stand and
overcome the struggle. While I was reading the poem, I imagined a rocking doll,
which never falls down and always bounces back up. Through the powerful and
hopeful poem, the author depicts the suffering of segregation which black
people encountered, and conveys black people’s robust will to overcome strife.
As mentioned in the marginal notes of the poem, I agree that the repetition of
the phrase, “I rise” not only emphasizes the author’s deep and fervent spirit
and shows her intensified will, but also creates rhythm in the poem.
Furthermore, there is a rhyme scheme “A-B-C-B.” The scheme is not apparent in
every stanza, but most of the stanzas in the poem follow this scheme. This
creates rhythm, too. In the poem, the author puts forward some questions and
specifically addresses these questions to the reader through the use of the
word ”you”. This direct approach makes the poem more powerful, forcing readers
to be involved in the piece and reflect on themselves. I think the poet is
confronting white people who are racists, because near the end, the author refers
to herself as “a black ocean,” which implies her skin color, and alludes to her
race’s grievous history. In the poem, the author employs diverse literary
devices: simile, metaphor, allusion, and motifs. Through simile and metaphor,
she describes herself and her actions. For example, the similes “like dust,”
and “like air” represent the author’s desire to break from the oppression and
be free from restraint. In addition, through allusion, she delineates her
racial background and history. For instance, I agree with the marginal notes
that state “Out of the huts of history’s shame” is an example of allusion
suggesting slavery. Also, I think “bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave”
is another allusion to slavery. However, I don’t agree that “I am the dream and
the hope of the slave” is personification as noted. Personification gives
non-living things human qualities or characteristics, but this phrase compares “I” to “the dream and the hope of slave”. Actually,
this is a metaphor. The poem’s motifs are expressed through repetition. On one
hand, white people have constantly oppressed black people and treated them
cruelly. This theme is expressed through the repetition of “You may…with your…”
such as “You may kill me with your hatefulness.” Despite this, black people
have constantly endured and overcome such hatred. This resilience is clearly
evident through the repetition of “I rise”, and “I’ll rise” through out the
poem. This poem is very thought – provoking and emotional expression of
strength.
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