What does Still I Rise by Maya Angelou mean?
Thereof, what is the message of Still I Rise by Maya Angelou?
“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou is one of her most famous poems, written in her third volume of poetry called And Still I Rise, published in 1978. The message is about the resiliency, strength, and beauty that black communities continue to show through hundreds of years of oppression and discrimination.
Hereof, what is the form of Still I Rise?
Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. In this poem, there are nine stanzas with each stanza having four verses. The phrase, “Still I'll rise” is repeated in first, third and fifth stanzas with the same words. Hence it has become a refrain.
The poet uses many similes and metaphors throughout the poem: "But still, like air, I'll rise" (simile)—No matter what the speaker's oppressors do to harm her, she will rise above the challenges, just as air rises.