Still I Rise, By Maya Angelou

In the olden day’s people were judged on not only what they would wear, what car they owned, or what class they were in. If the color of your skin did not match everyone else, you would be judge and considered an outsider. You were labeled even before people knew who you were as a person, they just saw how someone stood different. “Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou illustrates a strong independent person who is being beaten down with words and hatful actions, however, found the courage and strength to rise above the enemies. The character Maya seems to demonstrate in the poem to show many emotions, including boldness. The willingness to show confidence and courage, and having the quality of being a strong woman. She thought higher of herself

It also explains how she was valued as a person, as an African American woman. “You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies, / You may trod me in the very dirt.” (lines 1-3) People would judge her, and beat her down based on the lies they thought they knew. They let the past, they let the history of her and her ancestors choose how they will treat her. They misunderstood who she was as an African American. “You may shoot me with your words, / You may cut me with your eyes, / You may kill me with your hatefulness.” (lines 21-23) These lines clarify that hurtful words, and the looks she would receive were not kind either. During the poem, the reader can analyze the sentences and how they describe hatred, as well as actions that are not kind to use towards any person. The reader can also analyze they the character is also strong willed, that Maya illustrates her to fight a battle with hope, and determination. Not to let anything bring her down despite her differences between

Not only does Maya use words to describe the poem’s story behind it, she also uses symbols. For example, Maya uses similes and metaphors within the poem. “But still like dust, I rise.” (line 4) Simile is used here by comparing herself to dust. “I am the dream and the hope of the slave.” (line 40) Metaphor is used here by saying she is dream and hope. Reading this you can see the rhyme scheme, who it is aiming towards, and the imagery used. There are many more examples of symbols used within the poem, “Still I Rise.” Throughout the poem, the lines and stanza of specific ones define her attitude and how it is clearly resistance. The reader can tell she is fragile but also fierce just by the way Maya illustrates the poem and her feelings within