What do you like about the poem "Still I Rise"?

You are being asked to state your opinion about what you like about Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” This means you will have to do a close reading of the poem before deciding if it has meaning to you due to the subject matter, or if you enjoy the imagery, or if you find the way it rhymes pleasing. Does the poem cause you to have an emotional response?

I find Angelou’s technique of questioning the reader, while creating vivid images, pleasing. Her questions create a challenge to the reader, which is thought-provoking.

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.

Angelou’s images and allusions cause me to think about the feelings of pride the narrator is demonstrating even though she is living a life of oppression. There is a lyrical quality to the words as they paint the picture of a proud woman walking with a swagger, instead of being downtrodden, in the face of adversity. As the words challenge the reader, they are empowering. Angelou continues the questioning throughout the poem until she uses repetition at the end to create a point of emphasis.

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.