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It is a story of any young girl who was lost and disabled by the world and its cruel definition of beauty and success. A story of a girl who once felt ashamed to appear in the light, and a tale of the same young lady transforming into a woman who has pride in the person she is, inside and out. Maya Angelou portrays a similar theme as this powerful woman’s. She has written a poem that insists on the ability of all human kind being able to ‘rise’ from all circumstance.
Through her use of metaphoric phrases, her choice of vivid vocabulary, and her beautiful similes, Miss Maya Angelou has written “Still I Rise” which is filled with a message of strength and endurance.
Maya Angelou can be described as a writer who understands the true usage of contradicting and powerful metaphors. In “Still I rise” there is an abundant amount of metaphorical phrases that will keep you extremely attentive in the reading process.
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“ Amazing as always, gave her a week to finish a big assignment and came through way ahead of time. ”
One circumstance of such a metaphor is through her description of dirt and dust. She begins by saying, “You may tread me in the very dirt” (line 3) however she finishes the sentence saying “But still like dust, I’ll rise”. In these two lines, she is able to address the meaning of treading someone in the dirt or in simpler terms, belittling someone and treating them as if they are minute. She is also able to show us that something as inconsistent as ‘dust’ can rise even if it is seen as incapable.
Maya Angelou also decides to use violence as a metaphor, to show her audience that there is cruelty which is deeper than physical pain. An example of this could be when she mentions that, “You may shoot me with your words” (21). This powerful line is able to show us that in every circumstance where one feels like the victim whether through speech, emotional abuse, or physical abuse, it is still an act of inflicting hurt and it should be taken with an act of perseverance. Maya Angelou reveals to us that not all atrocities are clear cut and bolded for us to understand, but no matter how big or small these things seem and no matter who we are we still have the ability to rise.
Certain words evoke multiple emotions for the people who read them. Maya Angelou uses a wide range of vocabulary that adds descriptiveness to her poetry and controversy in the way we view the poem. She shows us her approach on how self confidence should be expressed. When she asks, “Does my sexiness upset you?” (25). This question is written in a way that is meant to show that we should not be ashamed of who we are and how we look which is an apparent explanation of the main theme of the poem. Another example of a word which excites our reader brains is the word slave. This is a word which is controversial in a number of countries and essentially brings u a great deal of emotion for the many that read it in her poem. She uses the word by saying, “I am the dream and the hope of the slave” (40). This statement is added to the poem for us to understand that she has no choice but to rise because of the people who fought for her chance to be able to pursue her dreams. One last word that was used ten times in the poem was rise. Since this particular word is even in the title we as the readers can assume that it is important and relevant to the writer that we understand that we can rise. Diction was a very big part of her writing this poem. It was able to provide us with a diverse word library that helps us think about the meaning behind the written identity of her poem.
Comparisons are a huge component of Maya Angelou’s poetic devices. It is especially seen in the amount of similes Maya Angelou used as she wrote “Still I Rise”. One instance of this is when she compares walking to having oil wells. She says, ”Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells/pumping in my living room” (7-8). Although she knows that she does not have much, she has confidence and pride and carries herself with that because she knows she can rise. Another example of a simile is when she compares the moon and sun to herself and everyone else who is meant to rise. While keeping a clear image in our minds, she says, “Just like moons and like suns,/ with the certainty of tides,/ Just like hopes springing high,/ Still I’ll rise” (9-12). Nature, particularly the different types she mentions in this stanza, show an example of common things that were created have the automatic ability to rise, this should give us the realization that rising is actually a simple task.
Though falling down and getting back up is a hard task to handle, Maya Angelou shows us that with the right amount of self assurance we can do anything and we can rise from any situation. She gives us a proper lesson on what it means to control how we live our lives, either constantly complaining of our struggles or acknowledging them and choosing to rise above them. Maya Angelou wrote a poem filled with a message of strength and endurance through her use of metaphoric phrases, her choice of vivid vocabulary, and her beautiful similes.
Perseverance in And Still I Rise Poem. (2024, Feb 05). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/perseverance-in-and-still-i-rise-poem-essay
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