ELTU2011: English through Literary Analysis

Essay Proposal Template (30%)

Name:
Student ID:
Section:

Notes to students:

1. For the specific reminders and assessment criteria of this essay proposal assignment, please
refer to pp. 2 – 3 of the “Assessment Guidelines”.
2. Word limit: 500 – 800 words (excluding the template words, in-text citations and reference list)
3. Please specify the total number of words at the end of the proposal.
4. You can present your ideas in point form, though complete sentences must be used.

Working essay title:

Feminist Critique of Still I Rise (1978): A Recite of “Still, I’ll rise.”

Part I: Introduction

[A] Lead-in/ Hook
(Aim: to draw the readers’
attention)
[B] Basic information of
the chosen literary text
(e.g., title, author(s)/
director(s), and year of
publication/ production)
In the 1970s, more black people in America—especially black women
—began actively speaking out in pursuit of gender and racial
liberation from the long-standing dominance of the patriarchal culture
of White man society.
Title: Still I Rise, from And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems
Author: Maya Angelou
Year of publication: 1978

[C] Website(s)
(URL of website(s) that
briefly introduce(s) the plot https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise
(i.e. the story) of your text)

[D] Contextualization of the
chosen literary text and the
target literary theory
(Aim: to briefly explain how
the theory is related to the
text)
Still I Rise describes black women living among the long-standing
dominance of patriotic white society, in which equality in gender and
race was being strived for back then. The poem's exhortation to "rise"
reflects women's oppression and their eagerness to awaken to confront
the hegemony of patriarchal society in America.

[E] Thesis statement This essay uses feminist criticism to analyse the literal and poetical
(Aim: to present the writing content in Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise (1978) to reveal women’s
purpose and main ideas) struggle in the patriarchal predicament and their persevering attempts
at emancipation.

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Part II: Body

Argument 1

[A] Topic sentence In both historical and contemporary contexts, Still I Rise presents us with
a comprehensive overview of how women’s identities were sexually
oppressed and negatively constructed under the hegemony of a patriarchal
society.
[B1] Evidence [B2] Commentary on evidence
(e.g., quotations from the primary source or paraphrases (Aim: to explain how it proves your
from secondary sources) thesis and topic sentence)
(Aim: to provide relevant information about the evidence)

Nature of evidence Details

Mark  in [ ] to indicate whether the Mark  in [ ] to

evidence is from a primary or indicate the
secondary source (for primary details of the
sources, also state the literary evidence.
element(s) involved, such as setting/
characterization/ plot/ mood/
narrative point of view/ theme).

Evidence 1 [] quotations  The anaphora "You may..." presents

[ ] paraphrases the identification of women under
[] Primary source [ ] summaries patriarchy ideology, which was not
only constructed constantly and
 Literary element(s) involved: [ ] others
repeatedly by male dominants
1. Anaphora (Repetition) (please specify: throughout history but
2. Diction __________) also described from a negative
perspective.
[ ] Secondary source
 The diction additionally indicates the
negative image towards women. For
“You may write me down in history with
instance, "twisted lies" reveals that
your bitter, twisted lies” (Angelou,
women’s identification was unjustly
1978).
and unreasonably recorded in history.
“You may trod me in the very dirt”
"shoot", "cut", "kill", and
(Angelou, 1978). "hatefulness" demonstrate male
“You may shoot me with your words.” power’s mistreatment of women.
(Angelou, 1978).
“You may cut me with your eyes”
(Angelou, 1978).
“You may kill me with your
hatefulness” (Angelou, 1978).
Evidence 2 [] quotations  "Dirt", "bowed head and lowered
[ ] paraphrases eyes", and "night of fear and dark"
[] Primary source [] summaries vividly depict how women,
particularly black women, were
 Literary element(s) involved: [ ] others
treated and their despair at being
1. Symbolism (please specify: restrained by male dominance in that
2. Imagery __________) period.

[ ] Secondary source

2
“Dirt”, “bowed head and lowered eyes”,
and “night of fear and dark” represent
the suppression towards women
(Angelou, 1978).
Evidence 3 [ ] quotations  With the assistance of the
[] paraphrases biographical background of Maya
[ ] Primary source [ ] summaries Angelou as a black woman who lived
in the 1960s and 1970s in America, it
 Literary element(s) involved: [ ] others
helps us have a better interpretation of
[type here] (please specify: Still I Rise intention in presenting us
__________) how women’s identities were sexually
[] Secondary source oppressed and negatively constructed
under the hegemony of a patriarchal
Feminism is a racial issue for black, society.
Asian, and other women of color. It is
important to recognize how closely
related racism and sexism are. Black
feminists argue that rather than being
independent systems of oppression, race,
class, and gender are interconnected
issues (Fathima, 2019).
Argument 2

[A] Topic sentence Women's right to liberty will unavoidably awaken through time,
regardless of the supremacy of male authority in patriarchal society.
[B1] Evidence [B2] Commentary on evidence
(e.g., quotations from the primary source or paraphrases (Aim: to explain how it proves your
from secondary sources) thesis and topic sentence)
(Aim: to provide relevant information about the evidence)

Nature of evidence Details

Mark  in [ ] to indicate whether the Mark  in [ ] to

evidence is from a primary or indicate the
secondary (for primary sources, also details of the
state the literary element(s) involved, evidence.
such as setting/ characterization/
plot/ mood/ narrative point of view/
theme).
Evidence 1 [] quotations  Enjambment and repetition of “I
[ ] paraphrases Rise” demonstrate a profound
[] Primary source [] summaries aspiration for independence and self-
hood among women. Still I Rise
 Literary element(s) involved: [ ] others
furthermore makes a significant
1. Enjambment (please specify: impact on poetry reading, captivating
2. Repetition __________) readers to recite and therefore
3. Diction strengthening their empathy.

[] Secondary source

 The enjambment and repetition in  Regardless of how fierce the

Stanza 8 and 9 “I Rise” created a oppression of women is, the word
recite to readers (Angelou, 1978). "Still" implies that ultimately, "Rise"
Poetry reading are highly will occur in recognition of women's
influenced by the linguistic and

3
 textual structure of the poem
(Van’t Jagt et al., 2014). right to emancipation.

 Diction: “Still” (Angelou, 1978).

Evidence 2 [] quotations  Because nature's "Dust," "Air," and

[ ] paraphrases "Moons, Suns, and Tide" are rising
[] Primary source [ ] summaries and none can prohibit it, these
imageries and symbols vividly
 Literary element(s) involved: [ ] others
present us with the fact that the
1. Symbolism (please specify: identity of women will inevitably
2. Imagery __________) approach equality.

[ ] Secondary source

 “But still, like dust, I'll rise.”

(Angelou, 1978).
 “But still, like air,
(Angelou, 1978).
 “Just like moons and
with the certainty
(Angelou, 1978).
Evidence 3
[] Primary source
 Literary element(s) involved:
[type here]
[] Secondary source
I’ll rise.”
like suns,
of tides”
[] quotations  It is in her nature to rise and stand
[] paraphrases against oppression, just as it is in the
[] summaries nature of the tides to respond to the
[ ] others moon, despite society's best efforts to
(please specify: keep her in oppression. Therefore,
__________) Angelou referred herself as “the
dream and the hope of the slave.”

 “I am the dream and the hope of  Furthermore, it contributes in

the slave.” (Angelou, 1978). comprehension of Maya Angelou's
writing's purpose, which is intended
 Angelou refers to the sun and
to create an echo among women in
moon, which are both influenced
by the tides. This let the reader the globe.
realize that the only option left to
her was to overcome her condition
(Permatasari, 2016).

Total number of words of this proposal: 753

(excluding the template words, in-text citations and reference list)

Part III: Reference list

(presented in a citation style commonly used in your discipline – e.g., APA, MLA & Chicago)

Chosen citation style: APA

Fathima, S. (2019). Feminism and Social Disparity in the Poems of Maya Angelou and Meena Kandasamy -
A Study. Language in India, 19(1), 62-70.
www.languageinindia.com/jan2019/fathimafeminismangeloumeena1.pdf.

Permatasari, I. E. (2016). An Analysis of feminism in Maya Angelou’s poems by using historical and
biographcal approaches. Jurnal Ilmiah Bahasa dan Sastra, 3(2), 152-172.
https://ejournal.unikama.ac.id/index.php/JIBS/article/view/1467/1270.

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Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). Still I Rise. Retrieved March 6, 2023 from
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise.

Van’t Jagt, R. K., Hoeks, J. C., Dorleijn, G. J., & Hendriks, P. (2014). Look before you leap: How
enjambment affects the processing of poetry. Scientific Study of Literature, 4(1), 3-24.
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/84250502/koopsvantjagt2013- libre.pdf?
1650100152=&response-content- disposition=inline%3B+filename
%3D1_Look_Before_You_Leap.pdf&Expires=1678
069882&Signature=LMRNhuCropx9M~DBKzRVQXB3fPX1Vkpc30J05ztHQQi1Sr
8QdJX7fHFBrVog9QiAKD14S6IRcYtx0USOwLazXi3oiRVyo45TmEG~ka0BoX1
WA~lAuHPnKWawWI2nTy5zqaNVg~cVy8bObzMvh5DeI500dvZSFmpwg3hxFfQc5s9-
lL6wbVQGuIOczpQz1MmWRGbH2ZQOPmps5dQuHg6IL9Ue4cyYTwAAV19743
wGE45Ufmw0zFzhdtlk13QVZNehVn6sh3ONY1BAu3KdjP-
pko~lTWWuOW9WCfCeHAg2i59BNMDZd3d52yLPygOln7inlLoNYvTgf~85TSQb
MtApOA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA.