Defiant, formidable, and graceful, “Still I Rise” has long taken its rightful place in the Black poetry canon, and we celebrate the great mind of Maya Angelou, who gave us this gift. Hate rots, but rising above that hate and into the comforting arms of ancestors and deep self-love is how we grow seeds for ourselves and for the next generation. The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. Much of Angelou’s work has this hymn-like quality, a nod to the influences of Black gospel music.Īnd with the juxtaposition of the violent language and actions of the oppressor-“bitter, twisted lies” and “You may shoot me with your words / You may cut me with your eyes / You may kill me with your hatefulness”-and the lyrical, gentle, joyous language of the oppressed, Angelou is making a clear statement. Still I Rise - Discover the meaning behind Maya Angelou's inspiring poem, with an audio recording of actress Rosie Perez reading this classic work. The natural imagery in this poem, as well as the reference to ancestor pride, makes it transcendent, almost spiritual.
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Angelou’s rise from oppression creates a cinematic feel of her rising with the tide of that black ocean that carried her ancestors. I am the dream and the hope of the slave. “Still I Rise”īringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, It’s no wonder this poem has spoken and continues to speak to Black survivors of sexual violence. There’s something powerful about Angelou, a survivor of child abuse, reclaiming the power and beauty and sensuality on her terms. “Still I Rise” has a special meaning for Black women, with sensual imagery and joyful celebration of Black women’s bodies, which have always been weaponized and exploited.
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Mandela himself spoke and wrote at length about the importance of maintaining dignity and strength in the face of overwhelming oppression.Īngelou, who grew up in the Jim Crow South and was heavily involved in the civil rights movement, experienced extreme racism and sexism as a Black woman, and that dual experience is reflected in this poem.
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The late Nelson Mandela even chose this poem for his inauguration in 1994, after spending 27 years in Robben Island prison for his resistance to the South African apartheid government. Published in Angelou’s third poetry collection, And Still I Rise, in 1978, it’s a poem about overcoming injustice and prejudice, and the immutable strength of the human spirit. Everything about this poem-the repetition, the natural imagery, its ancestral pride–induces a feeling of soaring whenever read or recited. Maya Angelou’s iconic poem “Still I Rise” has had an impact on the world that will echo throughout generations, especially for Black women.