Analysis of a poem by Cristian
Toledo
Topic: freedom
Themes: "Still I Rise" is an empowering poem about the struggle to overcome prejudice and
injustice. It is a reminder of the abuse of power by those who sit in government, the judiciary, the
military, and the police force. For members of the public, it sends out the clear, repeated message
of hope. No matter the circumstances, there must always be hope to cling to. The message is loud
and clear—no matter the cruelty, regardless of method and circumstance, the victim will rise up,
the slave will overcome adversity. "Still I Rise" is primarily about self-respect and confidence. In
the poem, it is revealed how a person will overcome anything through self-esteem. Nothing can
get someone down. People will rise to any occasion. This poem is not only a proclamation of a
person’s determination to rise above society, but was also a call to others to live above the society
in which they were brought up.
Hidden meaning: revenge.
Regarding theme: careful with mixing the terms. THEME is something more
general, you put “topic”, but “freedom” would be the theme. The description you
made below can be included but you are just giving your opinion/interpretation of
the poem, you need to provide examples and descriptions of figurative language in
the text, no arrows nor rounding of the poem.
Analysis: Don’t use other colors or font when describing, don’t use red or any
other color. You had to include Culler’s description of literature.
Example of figurative language description:
Angelou used in ‘Still I Rise’: anaphora, alliteration, and similes. The first,
anaphora, is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines,
usually in succession. In this poem, stanza six shows an example. There, Angelou
uses the phrase “You may” at the start of lines one to three.
Regarding the poem: careful when you choose them, you need to mention that it is
a fragment! Considering that the poem is much longer, you are missing many
literary devices.
The whole poem is this:
Still I Rise
BY MAY A ANG E LOU
1 You may write me down in history
2 With your bitter, twisted lies,
3 You may trod me in the very dirt
4 But still, like dust, I'll rise.
5 Does my sassine ss upset you?
6 Why are you beset with gloom?
7 ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
8 Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
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.
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?
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
