![]() ![]() During this passage of the poem, Angelou’s choice of words are strong and powerful this semantic field of violence is significant as words such as “cut”, “kill” and “shoot” are particularly aggressive and sharp. Angelou follows up this barrage of disparaging phrases by saying that ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise’. The use of the phrase “cut me with your eyes” is important as it further supports this idea and showcases how the way men look upon women can be threatening and is often highly disparaging. These quotes illustrate extreme gender prejudice and can be linked with the idea that men typically look upon women in a sexual manner and in essence objectify women as only sexual objects rather than a human being. Nonetheless, Angelou herself faced severe gender prejudice this is exemplified when she boldly states that ‘You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness’. Across the progression of human civilisation, only recently have women been able to gain equality within society and within the private sphere. There is a recurring theme in “Still I Rise” is that she “still rises” no matter what she’s faced with. GradeSaver, 14 June 2023 Web.One way Angelou presents power through a feminist lens is when she displays determination when faced with difficulties from society. These alternating declarations of joy and rage culminate in the last two stanzas of the poem, wherein the speaker describes herself rising up from the shame and pain of slavery, describing herself as “the dream and the hope of the slave.”įilled with hope for a new day, Angelou’s speaker closes the poem with the repetition of the two words that run triumphantly throughout it: “I rise / I rise / I rise.” Next Section Character List Previous Section Still I Rise Summary Buy Study Guide How To Cite in MLA Format GradeSaver "Still I Rise Video". ![]() Despite the oppressor’s eagerness to see her “broken,” with “bowed head and lowered eyes,” she will carry herself with the confidence, or even cockiness, of a rich and attractive woman. She brags that you would think she has "oil wells pumping in living room,” and “diamonds at the meeting of thighs,” for all of the confidence she exudes. The speaker also asks her unspecified oppressor if her “sexiness ,” or if her” haughtiness ,” as they seem disappointed that they cannot keep her down. They will continue to persist with the same constancy as the natural world: “Just like moons and like suns / With the certainty of tides,” or “like dust,” they will rise. This act of "rising” is described as timeless and eternal, a magic trick that she and her community will perform. “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.” The repetition of the word “you” seems to refer to both an embodied individual and the larger systems of white oppression built to target Black Americans, just as “I” seems to refer to both the speaker herself and the Black community as a whole.Īddressing her oppressor, the speaker declares her ability to “rise” above hatred and bigotry, which ranges from intentionally misrepresenting Black history to committing acts of physical violence. The poem is made up of nine stanzas and takes the form of a call and response, with the speaker addressing an unspecified oppressor in the second person throughout. ![]() Therefore, “Still I Rise” can be read as a celebration of Black joy and resilience in the face of hardship. She focused this poem on the power of hope in facing overwhelming adversity and oppression, particularly that which has impacted Black Americans since the dawn of slavery. Published as part of Angelou’s third poetry collection, the piece was written during a highly prolific time in the author’s career.Īngelou grew up in Missouri during the height of Jim Crow-era racism. Originally published in 1978, “Still I Rise” is one of Maya Angelou’s most celebrated poems. ![]()
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