A 1. This poem touched my heart and made me feel great compassion for the author. She wrote about how she feels the world perceives her.
In the first paragraph, she describes how people can metaphorically step on her and crush her into the dirt, but she and her spirit could not be crushed. She also mentions how history depicts her in a negative light. People tend to believe what they read, even if it is not accurate.
In the next paragraph, she describes how she is outspoken and how that makes others uncomfortable. Even though she may not have experience financial freedom, she was able to exert confidence. She explains that no matter the circumstance, even if she is mistreated, she will not give up.
The writer then asks the public if she should appear crushed and broken, but she will not let that happen. She may be sad on the inside, but on the outside, she will present as strong and confident. During the poem, she is still concerned about public opinion. This is evident when she says
“does my haughtiness offend you?” ( Angelou, M. 1978 ).In general, we the people, do not like to be judged or be different. We tend to conform to society’s expectations and rules. This poem illustrates how strong a person can be. It tells the story that a person can overcome pain, criticism and past experiences. It tells us in the end, that a person’s will power cannot be defeated.
A 2. The one aspect that most interested me was when she wrote about how she would, “ still I’ll rise”. While reading this, it immediately made me think of Jesus. He is my saviour and he rose again from the dead. This is so strong and powerful. I love how she sees each day as a new beginning. I interpreted the paragraph, “ J ust like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I’ll rise .” (Angelou, M. 1978) as meaning that each dayis a new beginning. The sun rising is a fresh start for all of us. We can count on certain things happening each day, like the tides rolling in, no matter how dismal things have become, we have a new day ahead of us. Her determination was extremely powerful and grabbed my attention. B 1. This poem was written in the period called Postmodernism. The Postmodern era is the last half of the 20th century which was preceded by the Modernism era. Although, these two eras do have some overlap. The term Postmodernism refers to new forms of art, music, architecture, philosophy, performance and literature that were against the ideals of the modern era. In
Postmodernism, interpretation is the foundation. This era relies on experiences over abstract principles. There are five major themes of postmodernism; which are: globalization, multiculturalism, capitalism, digitalization and irony. These are key concepts to distinguish the Postmodern era.
It is also based on several major events, such as, the Civil Rights Movement, feminism, sexuality and technology.
2. Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri with the given name
Marguerite Annie Johnson. She became an author, but was also known for her abilities as an actress, screenwriter, dancer, poet and civil rights activist.
Maya Angelou experienced racial discrimination prejudices during her lifetime, which I feel certainly influenced her style of poems and literature. Tragically, she was the victim of sexual assault at the age of seven by her mother’s boyfriend, whom was later killed by her uncles. The assault was so traumatic that she spent several years as a mute.
At the young age of sixteen, in 1944, she gave birth to her son, Guy. She did not marry her son’s father. She did get married in 1952 to a Greek sailor, Anastasios Angelopulos. This is how she obtained the name Maya Angelou, a blend of her husband’s name shortened and her childhood nickname Maya.
Maya Angelou was on Broadway in the 1950’s and through the 1960’s. By the end of the
1960’s (1969), she wrote a memoir about her childhood and young years, called “I Know why
The Caged Bird Sings.” It was extremely successful. In fact, it was the first nonfiction best seller by an African American Woman. Thru the years, she continued to write screenplays, autobiographies and poems. In 1998, she made her directorial debut with “Down in The Delta”.
One of her most famous works, a poem called, “ On The Pulse of Morning ”, was recited at
President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. She also received two NAACP Image Awards in
2005 and 2009 for her literary work.
Maya Angelou died on May 28, 2014 at her home in WinstonSalem,
North Carolina after experiencing health issues for several years.
3. I believe that the poem, “Still I Rise ”, has a theme of discrimination. This would fall under the theme of multiculturalism from the postmodernist era. As I read this poem, I was able to see a very strong and determined individual with the willpower to succeed in life. She was able to overcome the harsh words, actions and criticism from those around her. I enjoyed how she was able to see the past of her ancestors as a learning experience, but that she would show others that her generation had evolved into a stronger, more vocal and successful generation. I feel that most readers can relate to this poem as at some point in our lives, we all experience some form of discrimination. This poem gives us hope that we can all overcome discrimination and succeed. The poem shows us that we need to have appreciation for our ancestors. This is demonstrated in the line, “ Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave ”. It tells us to be thankful for what they done for us and left for us. The next line, “I am the dream and the hope of the slave ”, depicts how she has become successful and that others too should not give up hope. (Angelou,
M. 1978)
4. Women have come a long way over the centuries. We have become more independent and vocal. I do feel that there is still discrimination today. Women still need to prove themselves as equal to men in terms of their professions. For example, I think that stereotypically, when the word, Nurse is stated, most people will conjure up an image of a woman in white. However, if we think of a doctor, most individuals will imagine a male figure with a lab coat. I admit, that I have thought this way. I feel that women are able to prove their self worth in communities, politics, professions and society in general. It is my opinion that it begins with women themselves and having faith and determination. We must teach our children to believe in themselves and not to set low goals and expectations for themselves. We must strive to reach our full potential. It is time that we stop judging others based on color, religion, race, sex and economic status. With that said, if we can continue to work on equality, then I feel that the world will only continue to improve and that we will have a better quality of life. This poem is clearly speaking to the public, as stated in the very first word of the poem, “ you” . The author is reaching out to her audience. She holds us accountable by continuing to use the word “ you ” throughout her poem. Today’s readers can still relate to her expressions of discrimination.
C. I feel very moved by this poem. When I read it the first time, I felt more of a spiritual connection. It seemed to me that she was relating more to Jesus and a resurrection. As I began to study the poem more and read each line carefully, I was able to see her individual story that so many others have experience. I was now able to see her description of how she was able to rise up from pain, anguish and life experience. Her determination was so evident as well as her message to readers to continue to strive for success and equality. “ Still I Rise ”, has a positive message throughout the entire poem. I felt a strong connection and could feel her speaking directly to me which I believe was her intention. She wants us to be accountable.
Researching this poem and the history of Maya Angelou has allowed me to see how her work and actions have impacted society and how we as a group need to more accepting. In the words of Maya Angelou, “I’ll rise” to the challenge of changing myself and the acceptance of others.References Academy of American Poets, (n.d.) Maya Angelou . Retrieved from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/mayaangelou Mindedge, Inc. (2015). Introduction to Humanities . Retrieved from https://wgu.mindedgeonline.com/content.php?cid=36775 Biography.com Editors (2015). Maya Angelou Biography . Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/mayaangelou9185388# relatedvideogallery
Angelou, M. (2015). New York Random House: The Complete Poetry.