Name: Carlos Miguel Darlucio Date: June 21, 2021

Subject: 21st Century Literature Teacher: Sir Rone Harold Cruz

Essay Writing Prompt

IN 2-3 PARAGRAPHS, EXPLAIN WHAT MAKES "STILL I RISE"

BY MAYA ANGELOU, A PIECE OF LITERATURE GREAT.

Maya Angelou, an American poet and a civil rights activist wrote the poem "Still I
Rise" in 1978. This is a motivational poem that was written for people of color across
the world. Angelou's language and allusions allude to how people of color and slaves
have been treated and viewed in the past and now. It provides an insight into how
society saw them. Angelou, on the other hand, does it from a place of pride and
support for African-American history and heritage. “You may write me down in
history, With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt, But still, like
dust, I'll rise.” it begins. “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.” it says.
She makes effective use of sorrow, smile, and allusion to convey her message to
both races.

She begins with the word "you" to indicate who she is speaking to while she
composes this poetry. Her goal is to demonstrate that we, as a people, are not
scared of or influenced by the damaging threats, words, or acts of violence directed
at our spirit, souls, or bodies. Instead, she expresses her confidence in her ancestry
and history by saying, “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.” she is not
embarrassed of who she is or the obstacles that society and white people have
erected against her and her culture; instead, she celebrates her ancestry and origins
and allows them to shape her into an incredible woman. This demonstrates what
others are capable of and encourages them to embrace their heritage. A hidden
meaning in this poem might be to demonstrate white people/oppressors how much
stronger we are than them and how we can conquer any scenario or situation, which
is why they fear and feel threatened by us. As a result, they attempt to enslave and
deny us, preventing us from realizing our God-given potential.