‘Still I Rise’ response questions

1. The poem ‘Still I Rise’ is about the oppression and control that people of colour have had to deal with throughout the years and still have to deal with today. The overall theme that the poem holds is the overcoming of the issues that society has created for many black people and also Maya Angelou knowing that she is the bigger person and has achieved so many accomplishments in her life despite the history that follows her. It is about the self-belief and hopes that she has in herself and many others. 
2. I think Maya Angelou wrote the poem to show the issues in society and also show the power she holds over herself by making it clear that no matter how many times people can try to push her down and suppress her, she will always overcome it and rise above them. Angelou makes it clear in the poem that she has already risen above so much and will continue to rise while being proud of it at the same time.
3. In the final stanza, Angelou repeats ‘I rise’ five times. The effect of this repetition is to cause a lasting effect on the reader and make the additional times that it was repeated during the stanzas before more apparent and noticed. It also makes us analyse that specific line more and cause us to realise that it is not only talking about literally rising but also about the strength that Angelou holds and the amount of self-belief that she has.
4. Firstly, the simile, ‘Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides,’ compares Angelou to the suns, moons and tides. This is because nothing stops the suns, moons and tides from continuing to rise and shine above us and Angelou also holds that certainty that nothing can stop her and she can rise above just the same. No matter how many times she is crushed down or oppressed, she will still rise with the same certainty as to the suns and moons.

Secondly, the metaphor, ‘I’m a black ocean,’ is a very powerful line in the poem because it directly compares Angelou to an ocean. Oceans are unable to be controlled and no one can subdue their behaviour meaning that no one can control Angelou except herself. Using the word black to describe the ocean could possibly be a direct reference to her skin colour or it could have the meaning that black is a very strong colour often associated with power, strength, authority, rebellion and death and Angelou could closely connect with those attributes.

Lastly, the simile, ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise.’ is used as a contrast to the three lines previous because they were harsh and very much focused on hatred and harmful actions and the simile used was more of a light tone and also talking about air which is often thought of as peaceful and a safe haven. The previous lines state, ‘You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness’. In these lines, the use of harsh and blunt words are incorporated to talk about Angelou being harmed and hurt. It then moves on to compare Angelou to air and state that she will continue to rise above all of the actions used against her. This creates a juxtaposition to highlight the difference between the lines.