Summary of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise"

 

Maya Angelou is an African-American poet.  She has written many poems.  She has written many poems on women and race.  ‘Still I Rise’ is a poem by the American poet Maya Angelou.  This is a protest poem.  ‘Still I Rise’ is about racial and gender discrimination. 

 

Angelou starts her poem by saying "you." She uses wordplay with "write down in history." This phrase means both "write my history" and "downplay me by lying." Even if people try to make her and other African-Americans feel small, Angelou says she will rise, just like dust, and not be defeated.

 

In the second stanza, Angelou asks if her confidence and attractiveness upset people. She walks proudly, like a rich oil baron. In the third stanza, she says she will rise like the sun and moon, and like our hopes for a better future.

 

In the fourth stanza, Angelou asks more questions. She says the addressee wants to break her spirit. In the fifth stanza, she shows her pride. She holds her head high instead of bowing. She laughs confidently, like someone very rich with gold mines in their backyard.

 

In the sixth stanza, Angelou shows her defiance. People may use cruel words and unkind looks, and throw 'hatefulness' (meaning both 'bad attitudes' and 'hate for others') at her and other black people. But they will rise 'like air': naturally and lightly.

 

In the seventh stanza, Angelou talks about her 'sassiness' becoming 'sexiness'. She shows more confidence. Now, she looks like she has diamonds between her thighs. This means her body and wealth have come together.

 

‘Still I Rise’ ends differently with fifteen lines repeating ‘I rise’ many times. Angelou says she and others rise from the shameful history of how black people were treated. She is like a powerful, vast, and energetic ocean that can handle life's challenges.

 

She is leaving behind the dark times of fear and starting a new, brighter, and hopeful time. Her ancestors, who suffered as slaves and faced racial prejudice, dreamed of this moment. Their hard work and struggles, including those of Civil Rights campaigners like Angelou, have made this dream come true.