Darius Bruce

Response #1
Dr. Ling
Dr. Lingyan Yang
September 22nd 2023

The Great Mya Angelou

The document I am going to be analyzing is one of my personal favorite poems “Still I

Rise” written by Mya Angelou, this poem is a poem that many people can go read or listen to
when they are down because of how powerful and uplifting the piece of literature is. This poem
focuses on the strength, resilience, and power of the human soul. This short poem uses vivid
imagery, a commanding tone to get her message across.
Early on in the poem she starts it off with “you may write me down in history with your
bitter twisted lies.” This line may not seem like a lot but what this did was instantly address the
discrimination that was faced by African Americans especially the time it was published which
was 1978. Mya Angelou recognizes the many attempts to silence the black culture also to silence
her but she firmly rejects the efforts by still rising even at her worst, Angelou shows the
importance to not be defined by others nor by their bias’s perceptions.
While I was reading the poem, I noticed that Angelou uses a lot of imagery to give the
audience a more vivid feel. My favorite example of imagery that she used was “I’m a black
phoenix rising from the ashes,” this line was deep to me and one I still use today because it
shows a sense of strength and endurance, a rising phoenix symbolizes rebirth and transformation
so what she was pushing out to the audience was no matter how many times you fall you shall
rise stronger, more motivated, and more determined each time.
One thing I loved about the poem is how Angelou expresses the power of her identity. In
the poem she wrote “bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and hope of the
slave.” When I read these lines of the poem, I feel like she was connecting her herself to her
ancestors and putting the shine to their sacrifices that have paved the way for her to and to
whoever else can relate to rise above adversity. When she acknowledges heritage, it adds depth
and also reinforces the idea that she or the audience who relates can not be defeated
All in all, Angeluo’s poem “Still I Rise” is a testament to the human spirit and also a
reminder that no, matter what is said no matter how you are feeling you must still rise you must
continue to move forward. She sued vivid imagery, a commanding tone, and powerful
metaphors, all to celebrate her culture, identity, and her resilience. This will always be a be
classic body of work for literature,