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Still I Rise

Still I Rise. It is useful to know a little bit about the poet before revising this one. Maya Angelou is an African-American woman who was born in 1928 in a poor neighbourhood in St. Louis. Her childhood was extremely tough and in her first book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings she describes her rape, aged 8, by her stepfather. When she told her brother about the attack, her stepfather was arrested but released just four days later. On his release he was kicked to death. In turn, fearing her9441

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Still I Rise

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    3. Still I Rise This is a powerful poem about the survival against great hardship. It is about fighting back against racial prejudice and the leftovers of slavery that black Americans have endured for many years. You could also see it as a powerful statement of intent against the struggles Angelou experienced as a child. The poem has a song-like simplicity. The repetition of the title is like a chorus and the final stanza is a triumphant refrain.

    4. Themes and Subject Survival Prejudice Confidence Racism Changes in time

    12. Links to other poems… If you are looking at the theme of confidence and spirit then this links best with ‘I Shall Paint My Nails Red’, ‘Warning’ or ‘The Road Not Taken’. The powerful female voice also draws comparisons with ‘I Shall Paint…’ and ‘Warning’. There are obvious cultural differences on display here too. ‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘An Unknown Girl’ are also poems that are explicitly about differences in culture.

    13. Hints and Tips There is quite a lot to write about if this one comes up. The structure of the poem, like verses in a song with a repeated line and a big powerful refrain at the end is very important. You must be able to say why this style has been used – it gives the poem a very definite spirit and energy, as does the repetition of key lines and the rhyme scheme which runs throughout. The imagery Angelou uses to illustrate both her plight (struggle) and her confidence is also key. Note how three of the most powerful images concerning oil, gold and diamonds are three commodities that needed mining – something many African Americans would have been involved with when they were treated much like slaves. By using them against the white reader, she reclaims these objects of wealth for her community. Specific verbs and adjectives are also important – you should ensure you know what ‘haughtiness’ and ‘sassiness’ mean and that the use of words like ‘shoot’, ‘cut’ and ‘kill’ represent what was actually happening to black Americans during the 1930s and 1940s.

    14. Example Questions How does Maya Angelou create a powerful, inspirational poem? Look again at this poem and one other that focuses on a culture other than one from the British Isles. How are they comparable?

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