Still I Rise

The poem “Still I Rise” is about self-confidence and how even though Maya Angelou was broken and shattered every time she would rise. Angelou writes this poem to let us know that even though the world may be falling around you, you can still rise. In the poem, Angelou repeats these words “Still I rise” “Still I rise” “Still I rise”.

 “Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise. 

Into a daybreak that wondrously clear, I rise. 

Bringing gifts that my ancestors gave me, 

I am the dream and hope of the slave, 

I rise, I rise, I rise.” 

Angelou is showing us how even after the worst of life has been chucked at your face you can still rise. Angelou had written the words “I rise” five times in this stanza representing the times she had to rise. The whole week she had to rise. 

I believe that the reason Maya Angelou wrote the poem “Still I Rise” is for the reader’s sake. To show us how “just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides” you rise. You can’t change who you are just like these things. Just like how the moon rises at night Maya will rise, and just like the tide and the sun, Maya will rise. No matter how many times you throw dirt in her face and use her as a target she will rise. 

“Did you want to see me broken? 

Bowed head and lowered eyes? 

Shoulders falling like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries?”

In this stanza, it talks about how it is ok to be down, because you can get back up. No matter how broken you make her or us we can still rise.

“Does my sexiness upset you? 

Does it come as a surprise

 that I dance like I’ve got diamonds

 At the meeting of my thighs?” 

In this stanza, it shows how Maya is in control of her sexuality and she is proud of it. She can do what she wants and nobody can stop her. African-American for a long time weren’t allowed to own their sexuality once upon a time so as Maya overcomes this she is proud of herself for being able to rise and not hide.

“I’m a black ocean, leaping wide, 

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide”.

 This stanza shows how Maya has power. You can’t change and ocean so Maya is referring herself to it. Saying how she” bears in the tide,” meaning that she has all the power and no one will mess with her. Nobody can stop Maya from doing what she is doing.

“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”. This stanza is possibly one of the most powerful of all. You can’t actually shoot with words but words are strong and powerful and you can’t cut with eyes but eyes tell a story and feelings and you can kill with hatefulness but you can make people feel worthless and even though Maya experienced this she rose every time.