Introduction
Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and died at 86 years in 2014. Despite being a poet, Angelou was also known for her civil rights activism, acting, dance, screenwriting, and authorship. The poet was best known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and the trailblazing lady was associated with a vibrant life filled with accomplishments. In her childhood, Angelou was a victim of rape, resulting in trauma that lasted for five years. Additionally, Angelou’s grandmother, whom she referred to as momma, was her source of motivation. Angelou worked as a prostitute and was a female pimp, was the first African American female streetcar conductor, and was friends with Martin Luther King, Junior, who died on her birthday. Still I Rise, a 1978 Random House Publication, is a lyrical poem that talks about Maya Angelou’s confidence and self-respect, of how she will overcome everything through self-esteem, and nothing can get her down.
Main Body
The writing style employed in Still I Rise follows figurative language and poetic techniques. At different intervals, Angelou incorporates the use of alliteration, enjambment, and anaphora to convey her intention to the audience. In succession, repetition is the first anaphora used at different first lines throughout the poem. For example, lines one and three of stanza one use the words you may, and the first and third lines in stanza three use the words just like. The first lines of stanzas two and five use the words does my. Alliteration is used when Angelou uses words that appear at least close together, in succession, or at the start with the same letter. Alliteration is evident in stanzas eight and nine in huts of history and gifts and giving. Enjambment is also common in style used as it appears when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Angelou forces her audience down to the next line through the style, as exemplified in lines two and three of stanzas one and two, respectively.
The proclamation Angelou makes shapes the meaning of the poem as she shows how society tries to dominate the narrator’s voice. The poetic persona of the narrator represents the poet’s voice, and she represents the entire African American community in the U.S. As she uses the poem, Angelou seeks to break through the bonds that dominate the society by raising her voice to the notion that no longer is she and her people mute. The African American community can use its voice to proclaim its rights. No matter the strict approach used against the community, Angelou will prove that Blacks too have the ability. While the phrase “I rise” appears singular, it’s a collective revolutionary voice that incorporates the raging uproar of society that has been betrayed and oppressed for a long time.
Angelou’s Still I Rise is an empowering poem that revolves around the struggles of overcoming injustice and prejudice. Forming one of Angelou’s most popular and famous poems, it is used as an anthem when read by victims of wrongdoings. Moreover, the poem serves as a beacon of hope and reminds its readers of the power abuses by the people sitting in the government. In the first stanza, Angelou writes, “You may write me down in history, with your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt, But still, like dust, I’ll rise” (Angelou, 2020). Regardless of whether the people in power are from the military, the judiciary, or even the police, the poem sends out a clear hope message to the public. The words call the victims of injustice and prejudice to cling to hope no matter the situation.
As Angelou communicates her message, there is defiance in how she tries to prick the oppressors by reminding them of the present realities and the past wrongs. Self-confidence is conveyed through the use of the words “sassiness,” and Angelou backs it up with “haughtiness” and “sexiness” in stanzas five and seven, respectively. The use of hyperbole contributes to the nature of the narrator’s defiance of wild beauty. Angelou (2020) shows this when she says, ”Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as some surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds at my thighs’ meeting?” At the climax of her message, Angelou uses lines one, two, and three in stanza six to bring out the oppressive nature of the relationship between members of her community and those in leadership. The choice of active verbs in words “shoot,” “cut,” and “kill” in the lines serve to emphasize the degree of oppression. However, the oppression amounts to nothing, for the humiliation will still rise, like “air,” an element that cannot be troubled anymore.
Conclusion
On reading the poem, Angelou clarifies that despite the injustices handed down to the African American community, a time has come for change to show. However, the change comes through self-respect and confidence responsible for overcoming the challenges. The stage to rise to the occasion has been long forthcoming, and at the right moment, Angelou believes that nothing will continue to hold her down. In a society where the impact of slavery still exists, Angelou declares that despite the levels of oppression, none can determine her success.
Reference
Angelou, M. (2020). And Still I Rise. VIRAGO Press LTD.