Lily’s English: Poem Studying – Still I Rise – Maya Angelou

The poem “Still I Rise” is about Maya Angelou’s past and all the tragic events she has had to face. For an example she states this in the line “out of the huts of history’s shame” in which is a referance to slavery as well as her own personal history. She has created this poem to give hope to the people (priests) in the future and hope for us that we will not have to experiment with what she has. Maya Angelou has done this by using strong vocabulary and literature. Such as, similes, metaphors and verbs like trod, in which the significance of this to the audience is that it is strong and descriptive, making it easier for the reader to understand. Throughout the poem Maya Angelou has used the word “you” repetitively and aggressively to create a directed effect towards the readers. Another example of strong repetition is “still I rise” which is the main point she is using to create the strong effect of hope for our future. The use of the repetition of “still I rise” is used to show the power and strength Maya Angelou has. She used it in the final stanza to state that we can overcome the past and make the future a positive place.