A wise man named Joel Osteen once said, “We live in a culture that relishes tearing others down. It’s ultimately more fulfilling though, to help people reach their goals. Instead of feeling jealous, remember: If God did it for them, he can do it for you.” Obviously, Osteen recognizes that the world at large is unforgiving, but also that it is more beneficial to rise above that and be positive toward yourself and others. One woman who took this message to heart was Maya Angelou, a famous black poet and author from St. Louis whom you’ve probably heard of, who had to deal with prejudice and hatred her whole life. In her poem, ‘Still I Rise,” Angelou uses literary devices such as repetition, simile, and imagery to show that she won her personal battle against those who might “tear her down,” and that others can too. Throughout the poem, Angelou uses similes and imagery to reinforce the Idea of he overcoming the obstacles she is faced with. When she writes, “But still, like dust, I’ll rise,” she is putting the idea of her rising in the mind of the reader by making them think of a tangible object (Angelou 4). She uses a near identical simile to further emphasize this idea on line 28. …show more content…
She uses the color black, a color often associated with fear, the unknown, and in the eyes of a racist, hatred. She is saying that she accepts that aspect about her culture, and welcomes it, because that is who she is. Also, by comparing herself to the ocean, she conveys that she is strong, vast, and immovable. These comparisons and images cement in the mind of the reader how she survives and overwhelms the difficulty she receives from some people around