Still I Rise BY MAYA ANGELOU Analysis

Analysis of the poem Still I Rise BY MAYA ANGELOU The main theme of the poem 'Still I Rise ' is racism. She is up against the major problem that is racial difference,.Negritude writers aim was the celebration of 'blackness' . They attempted to rescue blackness from its definition in negative terms. Maya addressed the issue of 'colour discrimination' "I "in the poem is undoubtedly the poet 'Maya'. Addressee in the poem 'you" is white skinned person. In the first stanza itself the poet attacks the historians who have recorded their history, culture as primitive abd as inferior human race. this reminds us of Edward Said' lines in his book ' Orientalism' that Occidents or the west recorded their observations based on commonly held assumptions about the 'orient' as exotic and immoral. The speaker asks his addressee to see whether she has broken ,bowed head and lowered eyes. the poet arrogant nature may embarrass him because she laughs like she has got gold treasure. ;you may shoot with your words' you....................' the speaker challenges the addressee, a white skinned which ever methods he choose for instance, shoot with words, cut with eyes an kill with hatefulness. She stands against all the odds Maya strong belief is that she rises out of the panic stricken past and the history leaving behind terrible nights. She firmly says she sees a new dawn which is very clear. Bringing the gifts... I am................ the poet not inherited culture from her ancestors .She wants to bring that gifts, the African mythic past to rise in the present racialist society THE REPETITION OF THE WORDS 'STILL I RISE' SHOWS HER INTENSE FEELINGS ABOUT RAClSM

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Still I Rise poem

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