Maya Angelous Still I Rise - 904 Words

This 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 explains the problems she has overcome such as; racism, sexism, bullying and other problems in her life that she has managed to move on from.This poem is set in a first person narrative, Angelou explains to the audience about the good and bad times†¦show more content†¦Whereas, â€Å"you,† is related to the white population, this shows the division of both races. This is a setting of one of Angelou’s problems, overcoming racism, and still rising. â€Å"Bringing the gifts my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave,† (stanza 8) this line relates to slavery, the pain she and her family went through during these times of cruelty. This also allows us to picture the author, Angelou, as a strong African woman, who has overcome many obstacles in her life. â€Å"Still I rise,† the name of the poem is repeated throughout the poem to intensify her strength and pride of overcoming her past experiences, and also that she continues to overcome other situations. This allows the poem to be viewed in a positive way by the audience as Angelou overcomes these situations and being able to connect with the reader as she portrays that to them. In this poem, every other line rhymes, â€Å"Out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise, up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise, I’m a black ocean leaping and wide, welling and swelling I bear in the tide,†(stanza 8) this allows the poet to guide the reader throughout the poem and keep them involved. â€Å"Black ocean,† this phrase gives a sense of fear because of the colour black, telling the reader that the ocean is cruel and full of evil. This may be related to the fact that Angelou is a black woman, who has gone through some unexpected horrible events. Angelou has used imageryShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Maya Angelous Still I Rise1858 Words   |  8 PagesThe poem I have chosen to write a detailed description and interpretation of is Maya Angelous Still I Rise. In analysing the chosen poem I will be considering the ways in which my own knowledge, experience and cultural identity might have an influence in the way I have read and interprete d the poem. This poem is very strong and powerful, as a reader I can sense this in the title of the poem, still I rise. If the reader does not know the origin of the author I guess that it will be hard to tellRead MorePerspectives on Hope: Eudora Weltys A Worn Path, and Maya Angelous Still I Rise1594 Words   |  7 Pagescomfort, strength and encouragement. Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† is a story of one woman’s hopeful, determined journey. Overcoming every obstacle and distraction in her path, she perseveres in order to complete her objective. Similarly, Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Still I Rise† tells the story of strength and resilience during adversity. The poem is a celebration of the endurance and hope of the African-American race. While both of these narratives highlight the unfortunate American history of racism, the storiesRead MoreEssay Personal Perseverance in the Works of Maya Angelou1313 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Perseverance in the Works of May a Angelou      Ã‚  Ã‚   Internationally respected brilliant poet, historian, and author Maya Angelou says in all my work I try to tell the human truth-what it is like to be human...what makes us stumble and fumbleand fall and somehow miraculously rise and go on from the darkness and into the light (Ebony 96). This theme is consistently exemplified throughout Angelous greatly acclaimed autobiographical worksand poems such as I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, GatherRead MoreEssay on The Interpretation of None the Other, Maya Angelou1508 Words   |  7 Pagesworld holds. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. As a strong African-American woman, she has experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, yet also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American fami ly, community, and culture. Dr. Maya Angelou’s notorious aspectsRead MoreMaya Angelou1001 Words   |  5 PagesMaya Angelou 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, Ill rise. Have you ever been so influenced by such a small amount of powerful words? This brilliant quote extracted from Maya Angelous own poem, Still I Rise, basically brings out the spirit and nature of each of her publications. Maya Angelous works of poetry are seen as inspiration for those who have been discriminated for their public appearances. AsRead MoreWhat Criteria Make Up A Poem?1225 Words   |  5 Pagesnot accurate. Eagleton states poetry is different than prose in the way poetry is structured and the way it uses language. Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Still I Rise† meets the five criteria of Terry Eagleton’s definition of a poem because it is un-pragmatic, verbally inventive, fictional, makes a moral statement, and is different than prose. The form of Maya Angelou’s poem, â€Å"Still I Rise† relates to the content of the poem. The form of the poem is rhyming quatrains, following the rhyme scheme ABCB. However, towardsRead MoreMaya Angelou: A Model Woman Through Influential Literature Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluence on society itself. Maya Angelou is a great example of the model woman. She has beaten the odds and has become one of the most well known African American women of today. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. Her most influential work comes from her extraordinary books and poems. Her literature has influenced the young and old with their contents. Maya Angelous literary significanceRead MoreMaya Angelou: Speak Up Essay example1127 Words   |  5 PagesMaya Angelou experienced a life-changing event at the vulnerable age of eight: her mother’s boyfriend raped her. As a result, she chose to be mute for five years due to the emotional trauma this caused. Soon, a family friend named Mrs. Flowers, a wealthy and intellectual woman from Stamps, Arkansas where her grandmother resided, read with Angelou and helped Maya to express herself through writing. Mrs. Flowers taught Maya â€Å"words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voiceRead MoreAnalysis of the poem Still I Rise1268 Words   |  6 PagesAn 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 effectivenessRead MoreA Comparison of ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou and ‘No Problem’ by Benjamin Zephaniah860 Words   |  4 PagesMaya Angelou is a internationally respected, brilliant poet, and author. Maya Angelou says In all my work I try to tell the human truth, what it is like to be human, what makes us stumble and somehow miraculously rise and go on from the darkness and into the light†. This theme is consistently exemplified throughout Angelous greatly acclaimed poem ‘Still I rise’. The poem shows us the true life story of Maya Angelous tragedies, and their dreadful conditions she had encountered in her youth. But