- The poem ‘Still I Rise” is about Maya Angelou, the poet, having overcome those who try to beat her down and her becoming comfortable with herself and who she is. The poem shows her battles with oppression and her willingness to keep going despite it.
- I think that Maya Angelou wrote the poem to empower those who are struggling with similar issues to what she has dealt with and to spread hope to others. The poem has a message of resilience and self belief that makes people feel more confident.
- Maya Angelou’s repetition of the phrase “still I rise” in the last stanza puts emphasis on how she refuses to stop rising despite all the hardships she has faced throughout her life. She will not let anyone beat her down or stop her from achieving her dreams.
- Stanza six of the poem “Still I Rise” is by far the most aggressive stanza in the poem. While all the other stanzas are about Maya’s reaction to other people’s actions, stanza six is her directly targeting the reader or listener and declaring her ability to overcome anything they may throw at her. She uses repetition of the phrase “You may” both to directly address the audience and to emphasise the anger she has felt. Maya uses violent words such as shoot, cut, and kill to make the stanza sound harsher and more serious.
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