Analysis of the poem Still I Rise - 1268 Words

Kathleen Frederick ENG4U-05 Ms. Kumpf Tuesday, July 15th, 2014 An Analysis of the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou African Americans have been oppressed for centuries. Despite this discrimination, people of this race have fought hard for their freedom and respect. This pursuit of equality is evident inMaya Angelou’s poem, â€Å"Still I Rise†. Angelou integrates numerous literary ideas such as various sounds, poetry forms, and key concepts.The poetic devices incorporated in Maya Angelou’s work, â€Å"Still I Rise†,heightens the overall effectiveness of the poem. Maya Angelou uses several sound techniques throughout her poem. The first one that is especially evident is rhyming. The rhyming scheme for†¦show more content†¦Like the natural elements of the moon, sun, and the tides, Angelou will rise above racial discrimination. Angelou uses this simile to provoke greater imagery to the reader through rhyming and creative word choice. Also by doing this she enhances the lyrical style and adds deeper meaning to it. Imagery is also apparent in each stanza. The imagery, â€Å"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†(5-8) describes how the poet will carry herself with confidence and as if she possesses a high status in society. Oil is a highly profitable resource. Angelou’s figurative expression that she has oil pumping in her living room addresses how she in a sense, possesses superiority and how that irritates black oppressors because she h as risen above the impoverished lifestyles of her ancestors. The use of this figurative language allows the reader to develop a clear sense of Angelou’s demeanour, in a creative manner. In addition, Angelou uses symbolism as a way of expressing the equality that she is trying to achieve in society. The quote, â€Å"Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,/I am the dream and the hope of the slave†(39-40) portrays how she is a product of the freedom her ancestor’s fought for during the Civil War. This symbolism contributes towards the overall effectiveness of the poemShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Still I Rise 893 Words   |  4 PagesDeclaration of Independence â€Å"all men are created equal† ( ), we are consistently observing that the fight for human rights and equality still exist today. Although African Americans have experienced and endured countless hardships and setbacks, their spirit proves to be resilient. In the unforgettable poem †Å"Still I Rise†, written by the literary giant, Maya Angelou, the poem powerfully expresses the plight of the African American people and how we have risen above racism and adversity only to survive andRead MorePoem Analysis : Still I Rise 918 Words   |  4 Pages Poetry Response Essay I would like to start this essay by commenting on a video of a poem we saw in class by Shane Koyczan called â€Å"To This Day† it touched me emotionally and almost made me cry. The poem made me reflect on life, on all the emotional hardships I had to endure in my childhood, and most of my adult life; that the loved ones around me had suffered or suffer the same fate. I realized that people who are discriminated or even hated against tend to attract one another like a herd lookingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem An Unknown Girl And Still I Rise Essay2661 Words   |  11 PagesBoth poems â€Å"An Unknown Girl† and â€Å"Still I rise† have a very different narrative story and both poets use various different poetic devices to draw empathy and sympathy from their audiences, however both poems covey an overall positive mood. In the poem ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou, the poet uses repetition, metaphors and similes to express to her audience about how she has overcome racism in her life through demonstrating a strong, proud and defiant attitude to inspire others. In the poem â€Å"An UnknownRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1959 Words   |  8 Pagesnumerous awards associated with her role as a feminist. Angelou s poems celebrate black people, men and women; at the same time, they bear witness to the trials of black people in this country (Cookson). In the poems â€Å"Still I Rise†, â€Å"Phenomenal Woman†, â€Å"Weekend Glory† and â€Å"Our Grandmothers† there are some similarities and differences. From the four poems, the difference is the main theme of each poem. In the poem, â€Å"Still I Rise†, the theme is about how a woman who confronts her painful historyRead MoreUxt Task 1945 Words   |  4 PagesRunning head: Analysis of â€Å"Still I Rise† 1 Analysis of â€Å"Still I Rise† When reading, â€Å"Still I Rise†, by Maya Angelou, I immediately get a sense of perseverance and pride. The author seems to be addressing her adversaries directly through her words. I love the imagery used in this poem. I can almost see the dust rising and can feel the swelling of the black ocean that the author mentions. â€Å"Cause I walk like I got oil wells pumping in my living room†(Angelou, 1978), and, â€Å"Laugh like I’veRead MoreStill I Rise1705 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Still I Rise† Poem Analysis â€Å"Still I Rise† was written by Maya Angelou, who is an African-American poet. A majority of her poems are written on slavery and life as a African- American woman. â€Å"Still I Rise† is one of the many well known. She discusses how she is treated differently and refers to her ancestry and relates to events they went through during the time of slavery and the events she continues to go through during her time period of life. â€Å"This poem has been an inspiration to peopleRead MoreMaya Angelous Still I Rise904 Words   |  4 PagesThis seminar paper will look at a poem written by Maya Angelou, Still I rise, 1978. An analysis of this poem will be provided, exploring the meaning of the poem and the language used to present a certain image to the audience. â€Å"Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture†(www.mayaangelou.com, 2014). This poem is Maya Angelou speaking to the audience as she explainsRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings And Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1517 Words   |  7 PagesPoems of Color The poems â€Å" I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are both poems that speak on the issues of the mistreatment of African Americans, and how these challenges were created simply by the color of one’s skin and overcome. While the poems â€Å"Mother To Son† and â€Å" Dreams† by Langston Hughes refer to the hopes of African Americans for a better standard of living, and the consequences of departing from these dreams of bettering themselves. This comparison ofRead MoreLiterary Criticism Of Literature And Literature873 Words   |  4 Pagessimile, paradox, and so on. The analysis of the literary devices depicted allow readers to engage with the text—in order to understand the interactions between the text s structure and meaning (â€Å"New Criticism | Glossary Terms | Poetry Foundation,† para.1). This paper will analyze Angelou s poem â€Å"Still I Rise† from a New Criticism perspective. Ange lou’s poem uses a simile, hyperbole, and repetition. The literary devices help readers understand the overall meaning of the poem. Angelou wants readers toRead MoreThe Importance of Determination Essay687 Words   |  3 Pagestheir way. â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes and â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou are two different works written by two different authors yet they both convey the same message. Together, the two authors stress the significance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up. Using figurative language and repetition, Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou effectively emphasize this message in both of their poems. In both poems, both authors attempt to convince the reader of the