Still I Rise Metaphors

During the time of the civil rights movement, in Angelou’s poem, Still I Rise, her use of figurative language appeals to the reader's emotion to understand the shrewdness of the treatment towards women. In her poem she writes, “You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness.” These lines from her poem illustrate the painful affect that ill mannered behavior has on not just women, but all people. Angelou presents her message of cruelty to women through judgement and rudity by using figurative language, and this helps to give her purpose a weightier impact on the

This act of persistence is evident through this quotation “she neither marched up to the stage like a conquering Amazon, nor did she look in the audience for Baily’s nod of approval.” This quotation depicts how even after being belittled by her White oppressors, she stood up for the black community, for her own education, and for the ideals of equality and freedom. Furthermore, her not looking at Baily for reassurance demonstrates her independence and her coming of age, an independence that is transgressive in the eyes of society, she is now able to affirm her own choices. Even though, in the beginning of the essay, she is shown to have an aversion to her own skin color as she has internalized all a lot of hatred that she faces, in this quotation it is clear that now she marches for herself and her whole community. Moreover, even though she is only sixteen, her enduring and unyielding battle against racial injustice and educational inequality is a testament to her indefatigable spirit. This is evident in this quotation “We were on top again. As always, again…. I was a proud member of the wonderful, beautiful Negro race.” This quotation demonstrates persistence as Angelou goes on to appreciate her race and realizes that they could be on top even after being continuously discouraged because of her skin color. She now referred to herself as a part of the wonderful, beautiful race, coming to terms with her own

Maya Angelou described situations that occurred because of one's color. Angelou discussed the past pain of black slaves. "I am the dream and the hope of the slave." (L. 40) I think Angelou stated this line to explain that the past occurred but the new generation is the hope to bury the past. Hoping to bring achievement and success of African-Americans.

When describing the physical appearances and feelings of a person, Angelou uses similes to give the reader a more accurate visualization and sense of understanding. “I sopped around … like an old biscuit, dirty and inedible”. In the opening sentence, Angelou crafts a simile to accurately describe her feelings prior to

She compares herself to a "black ocean, leaping and wide," an indication of the infinite power of her resilience. She closes the poem claiming that she is the "dream and the hope of the slave" followed by the thrice repeated phrase, "I rise." “Angelou captures the both the repression and the progress of the African American people over the course of history.” (Bouchard 1) I will use this essay in my final paper to analyze and determine the importance of simile in this poem and how it deeply affects the way in which the poem is meant to be

By using her own skills, the speaker shows that her people do have talents. In the last stanza, the speaker says “I am the dream and the hope of the slave.” After slavery was abolished, Black Americans had hope for the future. However, they soon realized: systemic oppression would keep them down. Nonetheless, the speaker still has hopes and dreams which are continued and pursued through herself. The poem does not only express the rising of the speaker alone, but also of the people she represents. Using the word “I” can also inspire those who are going through difficult situations. For example, someone who is being bullied is forced to repeat self-affirmations, which can make them feel more confident. The wording before the shift proves the same subject while deliberately avoiding direct repetition. No matter what, her strength will never subside, and readers should feel the same.

This quote shows that even though people would still be prejudiced and discriminatory towards her, she and all the other black people living during this time would have to fight hard to rise above it and ensure a better future for themselves and their families.

‘Still I Rise’ was written by an Afro-American poet Maya Angelou and consists of a mixture of tones, such as: playful, angry, comical and bitter. Slavery was long abolished but Angelou saw its effects on society and black people. In this poem she declares that no hatefulness of society will determine her success. In the poem ‘Still I Rise’ she is not only proclaiming her triumph but also calls others to stand up for themselves and live against society’s expectations.

The poet uses repetition of the word ‘rise’ to show that she has overcome and risen above racism. In the line, ‘you may trod me in the very dirt but still, like dust ill rise’ it expresses to the reader one of the key ideas in her poem, that no matter how unjustly others may treat her because of her colour, she will not be defeated and will stand up again. The main symbol in that line is the rising dust. For dust to rise, it must be unsettled from the ground in order for it to leave and rise,

The film reminds us that “slavery and its aftermath involved the emasculation-physical as well as psychological - of black men, the drive for black power was usually taken to mean a call for black male power, despite the needs of (and often with the complicity of) black women. That continues to result in the devaluing of black female contributions to the liberation struggle and in the subordination of black women in general.”4

“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. “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.

'Still I Rise' is a poem written by Maya Angelou about rising up against racial inequalities and injustices against black Americans by white Americans. Angelou wrote this poem to express the difficulties and differences she experienced in her childhood by people of a different colour, and how hope and self-esteem gave her the power to overcome the hardships that came with being a black American. This message is exposed to readers through the use of repetitions, rhetorical questions and metaphors. As readers, we are left to believe that Angelou is determined to put her history behind her and embark on a new chapter in her life.

Angelou also uses a metaphor comparing her self esteem to being rich, I'm the poem she says she walks with so much self esteem that one would think she's rich enough to own oil wells at her home. The way Angelou uses figurative languages throughout the poem help give the poem imagery, the perfect example is in stanzas four when she said "Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes?" "Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful

Aniece Moore Scloesser 6th Poem Essay It’s hard to rise above all things that seem to tug and pull a person down. Is it possible for someone to rise with all the heavy weights on their shoulders full of hate, misunderstanding and ignorance? The answer is yes, A poem by Maya Angelou called “Still I rise” proves to readers and people that a person can rise with heavy weights on their shoulders the poem “Still I rise” by Maya Angelou is a poem about how she still rises through the struggles of being a woman but also a black woman. She describes how she rises through the hate, misunderstanding including ignorance using metaphors.

Next let’s have a look at imagery which is words that appeal to our five senses to create a vivid