Still I Rise by Maya Angelou Poem Analysis

“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedoms of others” Nelson Mandela. Maya Angelou (born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States—died May 28, 2014, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was an American poet, memoirist, and actor who wrote multiple volumes of autobiography on economic, racial, and sexual oppression. She wrote one of the most read poems in the united states “still I rise”.Angelou chose to write this poem to express defeat and survival. 

"Still I Rise," a poem by Maya Angelou, underlines the importance of never allowing anyone or anything in life to pull us down, as shown in the following stanza “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,” Maya reveals in the poem how her self-esteem allows her to conquer any obstacle. She demonstrates that nothing can bring her down. She will rise to any challenge, and nothing, not even her skin color, will keep her from succeeding. 

In the second stanza,” ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room.”

Maya Angelou references gold mines and oil wells as symbols of riches and confidence in her poem "Still I Rise." The speaker is suggesting that she is rich and powerful, not in a monetary sense, but rather in spirit. Her wealth of courage and determination make her untouchable, the poem says. And in the seventh stanza, “That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?”The diamond between the speaker's thighs is a symbol of wealth and power, but it may also represent beauty and sexuality. In the seventh stanza, the speaker describes herself as having "diamonds" at the meeting of her thighs. This choice of words has a sexual meaning to it, implying that she is not only gorgeous but also a sensual woman.

Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" has a fascinating blend of tones: playful and defiant, funny and angry, confident and bitter. The poem is addressed to an unnamed, abstract entity who embodies the oppressive forces that the speaker encounters in her life. The poem is made up of a sequence of inquiries and defiant sentiments, with the speaker repeating the refrains "I'll rise" and "I rise."Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" has a fascinating blend of tones: playful and defiant, funny and angry, confident and bitter. The poem is made up of a sequence of inquiries and defiant sentiments, with the speaker repeating the refrains "I'll rise" and "I rise."The poem's themes are illuminated by the setting of Angelou's life. Maya Angelou was active in the civil rights movement and wrote frequently on her experiences as a Black American lady living in a culture that was rife with prejudice and injustice. 

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and actor who published several volumes of autobiography on economic, racial, and sexual oppression. "Still I Rise," one of the most widely read poems in the United States, was written by her. During that moment, Angelou chose to write this poem to convey defeat and survival.