GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

'Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou: the poem

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells 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 back yard.

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.

© Maya Angelou in whose name Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. has granted permission.

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

Exploring the Poem We are now going to explore 'Still I Rise' using the five aspects of poetry we looked at earlier.

After reading 'Still I Rise' a couple of times, use the following questions to help explore your ideas about the poem.

What do you think Angelou might mean in the opening lines when she says that history tells lies about her?

Situation

Viewpoint

Ideas or themes

Situation

Language and style

Mood or atmosphere

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

Angelou repeats the words 'I rise' throughout the poem. What does she mean by this?

In the closing lines, who is Maya Angelou referring to as her 'ancestors' and why is this important?

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

Identity is an important idea in the poem. What impression do you get of Maya Angelou in the second, third, fifth and seventh verses? What impression of herself does Maya Angelou definitely not want to convey in the fourth verse?

What impression does Maya Angelou leave us with at the end of the poem?

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

Who is 'I' in this poem?

Who is 'you' in this poem?

Viewpoint

What themes do you see in the poem?

Ideas and Themes

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

Language and Style As you work through this section, you might want to refer to the Glossary, to read about some of the techniques discussed.

Angelou uses a lot of natural imagery in the poem. List all the similes and metaphors which relate to nature that you can find in the poem.

What points do you think Angelou is making in using this natural imagery? Comment on at least three images in detail.

Imagery

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

How do you think the rhythm and the rhyming of the poem affects your understanding of what Angelou is saying?

What do you think Angelou is trying to achieve with the repetition in the poem?

Find as many examples of alliteration and assonance in the poem as you can. What effects do you think Angelou is hoping to achieve by her use of these techniques?

Alliteration and Assonance

Rhythm and Rhyme Re-read the poem aloud or at least read it to yourself imagining how it would sound if you were reading it aloud.

Repetition

GCSE English Blended © The Sheffield College, 2006 Poetry

How would you describe the mood or atmosphere of the poem? Does the mood change throughout the poem?

Mood and Atmosphere